just amazing to see everybody together as one nation. ♪ ♪ we shall overcome >> felicia sanders' granddaughter she held during the attack is the other survivor. felicia continues to protect her now, from the public and media attention. as she explained to me, she's trying to keep her busy and make her life as normal as possible. we're back with more of the day's news right after this. >>> a scary incident today here in new york involving former tennis star james blake, in town for the u.s. open. blake says he was standing outside a hotel, waiting for a car, when suddenly undercover police officers charged at him, slamming him to the ground in handcuffs. he says the officers mistook him for a suspect in an identity theft ring. cutting his elbow and bruising his leg with that rough takedown. >> it shouldn't have happened, and it's something that we'll deal with with the police and we'll find out what they have to say internally. you know, hopefully there's video of it and people can see what happened. >> reporter: nypd sources say blake was released as soon as the officers realized they had the

and just amazing to see everybody together as one nation. >> felicia sanders' granddaughter who she held during the attack is the other survivor. felicia continues to protect her now from the public and media attention. as she explained to me, she's trying to keep her busy and make her life as normal as your allergies bring more than sneezing... ...and itchy eyes. they also bring tough nasal congestion. so you need claritin-d. it starts to work... ...in just 30 minutes. in fact, nothing works faster. so blow away nasal congestion, fast, with claritin-d. there's something out there. that can be serious, even fatal to infants. it's whooping cough, and people can spread it without knowing it. understand the danger your new grandchild faces. talk to your doctor or pharmacist about a whooping cough vaccination today. to folks out there whose diabetic nerve pain... shoots and burns its way into your day, i hear you. to everyone with this pain that makes ordinary tasks extraordinarily painful, i hear you. make sure your doctor hears you too! i hear you because i was there when my dad suffered w

new nbc interview, lester holt sat down with two survivors of the charleston church massacre, felicia sandersly adults to survive that shooting. sanders lost her son and aunt in the attack. she told lester holt about the final moments before that shooting. >> felicia sanders keeps her faith close to her heart. >> i can't help but notice the bible in your lap. >> yes. >> that's the bible you had? >> yes, it's blood-stained. this is the blood. this is the blood. >> it was faith that brought these two women to the mother emmanuel ame church that fateful night in june and it's now faith sustaining them after witnessing such horror at the hands of 21-year-old dylann roof, who turned on them, driven by racist hatred. >> we were just about to say the prayer to be released. and he caught us with our eyes closed. i never told nobody this. >> eyes were closed? >> we had our eyes closed. shots rang out. >> sanders was at the bible study with her aunt, suzi jackson, her 11-year-old granddaughter and 26-year-old son. >> i remember my son saying, mama, he shot me in the head. and i was telling my son, i sa

. >> that's felicia sanders.he says dylann roof opened fire while they had their eyes closed in prayer. roof is accused of killing nine black parishioners during a bible study in june. sanders' granddaughter survived as did another woman but her son was among the nine victims. she talks about his final moments with nbc's lester holt. >> i remember my son saying mama, he shot me in the head. >> reporter: your granddaughter was with you? >> yes. and i was telling my son just lay there, just lay here. but he was still talking to me. i said just lay here. my granddaughter was hollering, praying. she was so afraid. >> amazingly, instead of harboring resentment, felicia sanders has forgiveness in her heart for the accused shooter. you will hear more of her interview on "nbc nightly news." lester holt sits down with felicia along with another woman who survived the attack. that's at 6:30 tonight. >>> well, we still have a lot of heavy rain around, still localized flooding. here's a look at the radar. all moving into phi

felicia sanders told lester holt of the agony of watching her son take his last breath. >> we were just to say a prayer to be released and he caught us with our eyes closed. i never told nobody this. we had our eyes closed. the shots rang out. >> reporter: sanders was at the bible study with her aunt susie jackson. her 11-year-old grand daughter and 26-year-old son. >> i remember my son saying, mama he shot me in the head. i was telling my son, i said, just lay here, just lay here. my grand daughter was hollering, saying she was so afraid. it hurts me so bad. because i struggle with what could i have done differently that i did. because i tried my best to save both of them. >> you saved your grand daughter. you held her. >> yes. i nuzzled her so hard. i'm surprised i didn't suffocate her. i tried to hold her as tight as i could so she wouldn't make a sound. and i just heard -- i heard every shot. i heard every single shot. >> reporter: despite hit multiple times, her son tried to protect the others, including his aunt susie. >> he said where's aunt susie? i have to get to aunt susie. he

. >> that's felicia sanders. she says dylan roth is accused of killing nine black peritioners back in june. and she talks about her son's final moments with nbc's lester holt. >> i remember my son saying, mama, he shot me in the head. >> your grand daughter was with you? >> yes. i said, just lay here, just lay here. but he was still talking to me and i said just lay here. and my grand daughter was hollering, saying she was so afraid. >> instead of harboring resentment, she says she has forgiveness in her heart for the accused shooter. >> they posted a sign that said black lives matter and that lead to a national controversy and here with how the church is trying to bridge the divide. >> reporter: as the sun sets, a sign out front invited people in. it says we heard you, can you talk? pastor paul luts says three words, black lives matter, posted on the sign earlier started an uproar. people were calling and emailing saying that in their view, the moment had grown to promote hate. >> because of facebook and politic

. >> felicia sanders say dylann roof opened fire while she and other parishioners had their eyes closedprayer. sanders' granddaughter survived and another woman but her son was among the nine victims. she talked about his final moments with nbc10's lester holt. >> remember my son saying, mamma, he shot me in the head. >> your granddaughter was with you? >> yes. and i was telling my son, i said just -- just lay here, just lay here, but he was still talking to me and i said, just lay here, and my granddaughter was hollering saying she was so afraid. >> instead of harboring resentment, sanders says she has forgiveness in her heart for the accused shooter. >>> a montgomery county church is defending the use of a phrase black lives matter republican the congregate opened up discussion. black lives matters with opening up a discussion with those who say it has grown to hate and disrespect toward police. earlier this week this church posted a sign that said black lives matter. the pastor said he received e-mails and phone calls saying it's the wrong message. he says it's meant to mean inclusio

. >> felicia sanders holds her bloodstained bible as a symbol of her faith and a memory of the evening so much from her. >> any connection i can have to my aunt and son, i'm going to keep. >> the clothes from that day. >> i'm going to keep it. >> it was after all sanders' faith that brought her and polly shepherd to the bible study session that night. and now, it is their faith that sustains them. >> he caught us with our eyes closed. i never told nobody this. shots rang out. >> among the 12 in the room, sanders' aunt, her 11-year-old grand daughter and 26-year-old son. >> i remember my son says, mama, he shot me in the head. and my granddaughter was hollering saying she was so afraid. i said play dead, play dead. and i hold her against me so tight and i had my other hand on my son. i said, be quiet. and then he raise up to talk to dylann. i can't say anymore because i would let on i was still alive. i had my hand on him the whole time. and then he shot my son more. i think of those last moments, my hero. my hero. i watch him take his last breath. >> before leaving the room, the shoote

two days after the massacre, the nation marvelled when family members of the victims, included felicia sandersed their forgiveness to dylann roof. >> i told him, may god have mercy on your soul. and i honestly hope god had mercy on his soul. >> the young man shot a tv reporter and camera person recently, and he said the charleston church shooting was the breaking point. >> you can't integrate the two. >> that made me so sad. i never wanted any one parent to feel what i felt. it numbs you. just numbs you. >> etched in their memories is the benediction they were about to utter which enthe shots rang out. >> one from the other amen. >> what was your impression the way the whole country embraced imemanuel church. >> it is amazing to see the caring and amazing to see everyone together as one nation. you do all this research on the perfect car. gas mileage, horsepower torque ratios. three spreadsheets later you finally bring home the one. then smash it into a tree. your insurance company's all too happy to raise your rates. maybe you should've done a little more research on them. for drivers with ac

felicia sanders holds her blood-stained bible as a symbol of her faith and as a memory of the horrifyingening that took so much from her. >> any kind of connection i can have to my aunt and my son i will keep. >> the clothes from that day? >> i'm keep it >> the bible? >> i'm keeping it. >> reporter: it was sanders' faith that brought her and paulie shepherd to the mother emanuel ame bible study session that night and now, it is their faith that sustains them. >> he call the us with our eyes closed. i never told anybody this. our eyes were closed. and shots rang out. >> reporter: among the 12 in the room, sanders' aunt, her 11-year-old granddaughter and 26-year-old son, tywanza. >> i remember my son saying, mama, he shot me in head. and my granddaughter was hollering saying she was so afraid. i said play dead. play dead. holding one hand so tight, i had the other on tywanza. i said be quiet, just be quiet. he raised up to talk to him. i can't say anymore, i let on i was still alive, i had my hand on him the whole time and then he shot tywanza more. i think of tywanza, those last moments,

. >> reporter: felicia sanders holds her blood-stained bible as a symbol of her faith and a memory ofng that took so much from her. >> any connection i have to my aunt and my son, i'm going to keep. >> the clothes worn that day? >> i'm going to keep it. >> the bible? >> i'm going to keep it. >> it was them who drew her to the service that night, and now it's her faitheir faith that su them. >> my eyes were closed when the shots rang out. >> reporter: around 12:00 noon, her aunt, 11-year-old granddaughter and son tywanza. >> i remember hi son saying, mama, he shot me in the head. and my granddaughter was hollering, saying she was so afraid. i sa i held her against me so tight and i had my other hand against tywanza and i said, just be quiet. i tried to talk to dillon. i can't say anything more because i had my hand on him the whole time, and then he shot tywanza more. i think back to those last moments. my hero. my hero. and i watched him take his last breath. >> reporter: before leaving the room, the shooter stood above positive polly shepherd who hid under a table, praying there woul

. >> felicia sanders holds her bloo blood-stained bible as a symbol of her faith and a memory of theg june evening that took so much from her. >> any kind of connection i can have to my aunt and my son, i'm going to keep. >> the clothes from that day? >> i'm going to keep it. >> the bible? >> i'm going to keep it. >> was, after all, sanders' faith that brought her and polly shepherd to the mother emanuel ame bible study session that night, and now it is their faith that sustains them. >> caught us with our eyes closed. i never told anybody this. our eyes were closed. shots rang out. >> among the 12 in the room, sanders' aunt, her 11-year-old granddaughter, and 26-year-old son. >> i remember my son saying mama, he shot me in the head. and my granddaughter was hollering saying she was so afraid. i said, play dead. play dead. and i hold her against me so tight. i had my other hand on tywanza. i said be quiet. just be quiet. then he raised up to talk to dylan. i can't say anymore because i would let on i was still alive. i had my hand on him the whole time. and then he shot tywanza more.