Hundreds attend 1st funerals for church shooting victims

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — A choir and band launched into one of Ethel Lance's favorite gospel tunes and roused hundreds of mourners from their seats Thursday in a crescendo of music at the first funeral for victims of the massacre at a historic black church.

Ushers walked through the aisles with boxes of tissues for people to dab their tears as an organ, drums and bass guitar played along.

Police officers stood guard and checked bags as mourners filed in for the funeral, which was held as the debate over the Confederate flag and other Old South symbols continued.

Lance and eight other Emanuel church members were killed when police say a gunman walked into a Bible study June 17 and opened fire in a racially motived attack.

Lance served as a sexton at Emanuel for the last five years, helping to keep the historic building clean, and she loved gospel music.

The suspected gunman, Dylann Storm Roof, had a Confederate license plate, and images on a website created in his name months before the attacks show him posing with the flag and burning and desecrating the U.S. flag.