Sharon Risher, whose moth­er, Ethel Lance (pic­tured), and cousins, Susie Jackson and Tywanza Sanders, were killed in the racial­ly-moti­vat­ed shoot­ing at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church one year ago, says she has not for­giv­en Dylann Roof, the accused per­pe­tra­tor, but does not think he should be sen­tenced to death. In an arti­cle for Vox, Risher shared her expe­ri­ences since the shoot­ing, dis­cussing her emo­tion­al reac­tions to her moth­er’s death and her views on gun con­trol, the removal of the Confederate flag from South Carolina’s state­house, and cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment. Risher, who is a church chap­lain, says that “[t]here is no right way to grieve.” Unlike her sis­ter, Nadine Collier, who pub­licly voiced her for­give­ness of Roof just days after the shoot­ing, Risher is ​“still in the anger stage” of griev­ing and says she has not for­giv­en Roof. Still, she does not believe a death sen­tence is appro­pri­ate. ​“Despite the anger I am still cop­ing with from my mother’s death, I don’t believe in the death penal­ty, even for the man who killed her. That’s my con­vic­tion because of my faith,” she said. ​“I don’t believe as human beings that we should take away someone’s life just because we have the pow­er to do so.” A recent poll found that near­ly two-thirds of black South Carolinians pre­fer a sen­tence of life with­out parole for Roof if he is convicted.

(S. Risher, ​“My mom was killed in the Charleston shoot­ing. Executing Dylann Roof won’t bring her back.” Vox, June 15, 2016.) See Victims.

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