John Boehner Leading Congressional Group to SC Funeral

House Speaker John Boehner will lead a bipartisan delegation from Congress to Charleston, South Carolina, on Friday for the funeral of the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, who was among nine people killed last week in a shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

President Barack Obama will deliver the eulogy.

Pinckney, 41, a married father of two, had been pastor of Emanuel AME since 2010. He was also a member of the South Carolina Senate and had served in the state House of Representatives.

Pinckney was allegedly shot June 17 by Dylann Roof, 21, of Eastover. He is accused of opening fire after spending an hour in Bible study with church members.

Authorities are investigating the killings as a hate crime — and Roof's website showed him posing with weapons at Confederate grave sites and sported a 2,500-word white supremacist manifesto.

Roof is charged with nine counts of murder and weapons possession. He is being held on $1 million bond pending future court appearances.

"On Friday, members of Congress will travel to Charleston to pay our respects to the families of the victims and express the condolences of the American people," Boehner said Tuesday. "The people’s House continues to keep the people of Charleston in our prayers as they mourn such senseless loss."

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