Clinton's long-held position of support for the death penalty is one that has put her at odds with many Democrats. But her decision in this case would also likely have been strongly influenced by the desires of the victims' families.

She has been endorsed by the Rev. Anthony Thompson, whose wife, Myra, was killed in the shooting and who was featured in one of her campaign ads. And Clinton has regularly cited the families as a lesson in the power of forgiveness and the need for more civility in public life.

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An attorney who represents some of the families of the victims reiterated last week that though they have mixed feelings about the death penalty, they support the Justice Department's decision in this case.

“Regardless of whether or not you’re for the death penalty, the thought process is this: Where else would you have it, if not for here?” said attorney Steve Schmutz, who represents the families of three of the victims.

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Clinton's opponent in the Democratic presidential race, has criticized her support of the death penalty. She has continued to defend its use in extreme cases of mass violence or terrorism, but she has also suggested that she would support it being eliminated by states or the courts.

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At a town hall this year, after Clinton was confronted by a man who had spent decades on death row for a crime he didn't commit, Clinton acknowledged the moral complexity of the issue.