Daughter of Emanuel 9 victim captures father’s legacy in upcoming documentary

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The daughter of a victim in the Mother Emanuel AME Church mass shooting is planning to tell her father’s story in an upcoming documentary. (WCIV)

 

The daughter of a victim in the Mother Emanuel AME Church mass shooting is planning to tell her father’s story in an upcoming documentary.

Rose Simmons is the daughter of Rev. Daniel L. Simmons, one of the nine churchgoers who lost their lives in the racially-motivated shooting in 2015.

On June 17, Simmons and her production team stopped in North Charleston to visit a Waffle House her dad went to almost every morning. Over the years, and many stops for breakfast, the elder Simmons developed relationships with the staff.

While filming, the younger Simmons interviewed the employees who served her father before he died. They told her about the impact he had on their lives.

“I want the community to take away that you never know in life who you’re going to walk up on, who you’re going to meet,” she said. “You never know the impact of how one small meeting with that person is going to reflect in the rest of your life.”

“I really want to make it clear that my father had a huge life,” Simmons continued. “He lived very well and he accomplished so many things in his life. I want the world to know that. For me to create this documentary, it helps me to keep his memory alive for myself and for the world.”

Simmons hopes telling her father’s story through the relationships he formed and the lives he touched will share a powerful lesson with the community.

The documentary, entitled “One Last Breath”, will be released on June 17th 2025, the 10th anniversary of the shooting.

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