A nine-year-old boy, Odai Shanah, recounts what he saw during a deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday. Shanah says children were forced to huddle in a classroom as gunfire erupted at the mosque complex, which also includes an Islamic day school. According to his account, he heard a barrage of gunshots outside the walls and was sheltering with other children, including in a closet, during the attack.
Shanah’s mother emigrated from Gaza and the family has lived in Southern California for about two decades. Both of his parents provided permission for the Reuters interview, including allowing Shanah to be identified by name and to speak about the experience in his own words.
The reports present Shanah’s statements as testimony from a child eyewitness who was present at the school portion of the mosque complex while the shooting occurred. The coverage does not add conflicting details about the child’s account across outlets, but focuses on his description of hearing gunshots and being sheltered with other students.
