Myra Singleton Thompson, a 59-year-old African-American woman, was a pillar of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, the very place where her life was tragically cut short. On the evening of June 17, 2015, she was leading a Bible study, a testament to her deep and abiding faith. That same day, she had received her license to preach, a goal she had diligently worked toward.
A Charleston native, Myra was a retired teacher and school counselor who had
dedicated her career to educating and guiding young minds. She held two master's degrees from The Citadel and was known for her passionate devotion to both her family and her church community. She was married to Reverend Anthony Thompson and was a loving mother and grandmother. Her commitment to the church was evident in her active involvement, from serving on the trustee board to taking personal care of the church facilities.
The evening of the Bible study took a horrific turn when a young white man, Dylann Roof, entered the church. He sat with the group for about an hour before opening fire, killing nine of the thirteen people present in a racially motivated act of violence. Myra Thompson was among those who perished in the hail of bullets. The attack was a calculated act of hate, intended to incite a race war, and it sent shockwaves of grief and horror through the nation.
In the aftermath of the unspeakable tragedy, law enforcement quickly identified Dylann Roof as the suspect. He was arrested the day after the shooting. The investigation revealed his white supremacist motives. Roof faced 33 federal charges, including hate crimes, and nine state counts of murder. At his initial court appearance, in a powerful and unexpected moment, Myra Thompson's husband, Reverend Anthony Thompson, spoke directly to Roof, offering words of forgiveness.
Dylann Roof's trial brought further pain as the details of his actions were recounted. He was found guilty on all federal charges and, in January 2017, was sentenced to death. He later pleaded guilty to the state murder charges and received nine consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. While the legal process brought a measure of justice, for the families of the victims, including Myra Thompson's, the loss remains immeasurable.
