48 minutes of Westgate terror captured on camera

Video footage captured by closed circuit television cameras shows that the Westgate massacre was partly executed by four individuals, all of who appear to be men wearing bandanas.

The time recorded by the security cameras when the terrorists struck on September 21 was 12.30 pm and the next 48 minutes of footage that the Sunday Nation viewed are probably the worst firearms carnage Kenya’s capital city has ever experienced.

At least 67 people are thought to have died following the terror attack and 175 were injured. 

The CCTV footage shows the four armed men blasting their way into the mall. From multiple witness statements, it is possible to get an idea of the trail of death they left outside Westgate before moving in.

Inside the mall, the footage shows random shooting.

The killers then split into two groups: One pair heading to the main entrance where those on foot walk in and another to the main entrance used by motorists.

All four appear from the grainy CCTV footage to be lanky men with conspicuous magazine pouches and carrying rifles.

Terrified shoppers can be seen scampering for safety into corners, shops and behind pillars as others dive under furniture and other barriers.

The attackers saunter, almost casually, as they spray bullets and pause to talk to each other. In the initial stages, they do not bother to find those hiding, but just shoot in the direction of anybody they see moving. 

At one point, the attackers come under fire from people dressed in civilian clothes, most probably licensed gun holders, and police officers in uniform. But they take cover behind a pillar.

Indeed, one of them misses a bullet, hides behind a pillar and quite calmly moves to a different section of the mall to continue with his shooting spree.

Satisfied that there is nobody in sight, and concealed from the police and armed civilians, the two men then walk into Nakumatt supermarket.

The other pair of attackers, who appear from the footage to have killed more people, are seen at 12.30 launching their attack through the entrance used by motorists to the parking lot.

They shoot their way past the guard house and checkpoint. They then spray two cars with bullets. The fate of their occupants is not clear.

The two vehicles appear to have been targeted to block the way out of the mall for anyone who might have parked in the basement or in the top floor ramp.

The two terrorists, one in a whitish shirt and another in pink, also have their arsenal secured in magazine pouches belted around the waist.

After launching the carnage at the gate, the duo walks towards the basement, shooting at anyone in sight. They then go towards the ramp, headed to the top floor and continue shooting.

It is on the top floor that they find the children’s cooking competition. They launch their attack on the hapless group in a barrage that lasts – by the timeline on the footage – a full 23 minutes in which children who hardly know what is happening are mowed down senselessly.

The two, like their colleagues working their way up from the lower floors, keep talking to each other and to some of their victims.

One little girl who escaped miraculously would later tell her parents that the attackers stopped spraying bullets at one point and tried to separate Muslims from non-Muslims. However, it is now known that the slaughter had no particular pattern as people of all religions, including those who proved they were Muslims, were killed.

When the guns fall silent, the duo in the top floor parking area then make their way into the building and walk around shooting anyone in sight.

It is apparent that many of the victims were shot because they had simply gone to the ground or surrendered, thinking it was an ordinary robbery.

The duo from upstairs then walks down, looking around for any counterattackers, and shooting at some people who had gunshot wounds.

Finally, at 1.18 pm, satisfied with their evil handiwork, they amble into Nakumatt. Once inside the mammoth store they are out of CCTV range.

Survivor accounts from the supermarket paint a picture of repeated carnage and merciless, senseless killing. Security experts are now analysing the footage to get clear images of the suspected al-Shabaab terrorists.