Minor league hockey team to honor Charleston shooting victims

The South Carolina Stingrays will honor the Charleston shooting victims with “Charleston Strong” jerseys this season.

The South Carolina Stingrays will honor the Charleston shooting victims with “Charleston Strong” jerseys this season, the team announced Monday.

The Stingrays are a minor league affiliate of the Washington Capitals.

On June 17, a deadly shooting took place just nine miles from the team's North Charleston, S.C. arena at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, during which 12 people were shot and nine were killed.

On Oct. 17, the team's opening night, donations will be collected for the victims' families.

“It’s going to be a pretty special night,” said Zach Fisch, the Stingrays’ director of communications and broadcasting. “We wanted to do it right and we wanted to remember everyone that was in that church.” 

The Stingrays, who play in the South Division of the ECHL’s Eastern Conference, are the first professional ice hockey team in South Carolina history.

These are the threads the @SCStingrays will wear opening night (Oct. 17) vs Reading, paying tribute to #EmanuelAME pic.twitter.com/CVLrG8CLKZ

— Evan West (@TV_Evan) September 21, 2015

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