Rand Paul Visits Charleston, But Is Cautious on Walter Scott Killing

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C.—At around 11 p.m., after the vigil for Walter Scott had ended and as national news networks packed up their gear, a few black men remained in the parking lot near city hall. There had been rallies all day, and there'd be rallies tomorrow—the black caucus was organizing something, as was Black Lives Matter, as (maybe) was Al Sharpton. Representative Mark Sanford, whose safe Republican seat began just down the highway, had even showed up earlier to one of the events. The news of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul's visit, the third stop of his presidential announcement tour, had been not been on many minds. But it was an intriguing story.

"If he's running for president and standing on this soil, he better make a statement," said a radio host for the local hip-hop and talk station 93.3 who went by DJ Kass. "I'd ask if he's got an opinion of what happened. At the end of the day, a black unarmed man was killed. He should have an opinion."