The pastor of Emanuel AME Church is a State Senator who was at Hillary fundraiser today.

[RandySF]

Flame away, but this feels like a political hit.


http://inagist.com/all/611368571185205248/

[Kalidurga]

1. No flames from me

It does indeed feel like a political hit.

[DonCoquixote]

2. Hell yes

and I wonder what Nikki Haley will say.

[joshcryer]

3. I think it was a crazy racist dude who might've been politically motivated.

But I think race was the main factor.

Hope they catch this bastard.

[Tarheel_Dem]

4. Racist bastards. I wish they could all be placed on a desolate island somewhere.

It breaks my heart.

[gollygee]

5. Probably both racially and politically motivated

[morningfog]

6. No flames warranted. It certainly seems likely to have been an assassination.

Such an unspeakable act. It makes me sick.

[Renew Deal]

7. The Hillary connection seems coincidental

Meaning that I think this person would have done this either way.

[jaysunb]

8. +1 n/t

[pnwmom]

11. Even though the fundraiser was just hours earlier and only a half mile away?

I think they need to rule out a connection.

[Renew Deal]

15. Yes, they need to rule it out.

Here's a different way of looking at it. Did he try to get into the Hillary event?

[freshwest]

16. With armed Secret Service agents and eyes everywhere? White supremacists playing wargames know that.

There are conservative websites that call HRC's election the start of the end of the world. They call her the anti-Christ who is going to make everyone serve the Beast.

The level of hatred they'd been since Rush to her is off the rails.

As much as it has been with Obama, their former anti-Christ. They want him dead but can't get at him. So they take it out on open hearted, unarmed black people whose souls dwell in a higher plane alive or dead.

They hate what they call an unholy alliance of women and POC. The gunman as much as said so. White women aren't being dragged kicking and screaming from the side of sexist racists. They're just leaving.

This guy may have also lost a gf to a POC. Enough outrageous speculation on my part.

As much as it may true in one sense this was a hit on Pinckney for being a HRC supporter, a Democrat or a government employee, the killer had his wits about him when he did all this.

He would be in custody before he could kill if he'd come into the HRC rally with a gun. The security around the candidates is much higher than it was in RFK's day. The guy picked an easier venue to make his hateful stand.

[frylock]

18. agreed

[Bonobo]

9. Was his presence there seen on the media, I wonder?

Was there video or pictures of his attendance broadcast somewhere? FOX or anything?

[RandySF]

10. Possibly

He was a prominent figure in Charleston.

[malaise]

12. I don't know but I think this church's place

in African American history in the South is way more important.

[DAMANgoldberg]

13. As seen elsewhere...

This church in African-American religious circles is a big a deal to the South Carolina as Ebenezer Baptist in Atlanta (Rev. Dr. King's home church) and 16th Street Baptist in Birmingham (4 young girls bombing). That much history involved.

http://www.emanuelamechurch.org/revpinckney.php

[malaise]

14. MLK preached here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026855835

The racial implications here are huge. This AME church's place in African American Southern history is well known.

[frylock]

17. I think it's highly unlikely..

he made no mention of Clinton or Democrats during his rampage.

[sufrommich]

19. A racist ( probably from a long line of racists) in South Carolina

went into a historic black church and killed as many black people as he could. He didn't know who was who in that church and didn't care. This has nothing to do Hillary Clinton or the TPP or the stage of the moon or any other ridiculous,assholish conspiracy theory being posted on DU,he's a racist asshole with easy access to guns who decided to kill and terrorize black people.

[bigwillq]

20. Seems unlikely.

But until it is ruled out, I guess anything is possible.
Are they investigating it as a possible political hit? Any evidence? From what I read or heard, it doesn't seem like there's evidence that it was a political hit. But, who knows.