Photo Credit: Morguefile.com

After Dylann Roof confessed to fatally shooting nine people at the Emanuel Church in South Carolina on Wednesday night, the children of victim Sharonda Coleman-Singleton decided to publicly forgive him. Singleton was a speech therapist, coach of high school track and field, and the single mother of three children. She was 45 years old.

Her three children, Chris, Camryn, and Caleb, recently spoke out about the incident in true forgiveness. It happened on Thursday at a memorial service held by Goose Creek High School, where Singleton coached track and field. Specifically, Chris Singleton (a sophomore at Charleston Southern University), told the station WCBD that he and his siblings, “forgive, that’s the one thing [they are] going to do.”

When asked about his mother, Singleton says, “She’s the best mom I could even ask for.”

Camryn Singleton adds, “I know she’s in a great place.”

Later Thursday evening, Chris Singleton spoke about forgiveness again. This time, it was at a press conference at Charleston Southern University. He declared that his family was “in mourning right now,” but it didn’t do him any good to hate Roof.

“Love is always stronger than hate, so if we just love the way my mom would, then the hate won’t be anywhere close to what love is,” he spoke.

Our thoughts, prayers, and well wishes are with the Singleton family and everyone else in Charleston.