Gunman Leaves Terror As His Last Legacy In Tunisia Shooting: Survivors Share Their Experience
A 23-year-old Tunisian engineering student opened fire in a Tunisian beach near Sousse and then entered a hotel to continue shooting, racking up a body count of 38 with at least 36 more injured. The gunman, identified to be Seifeddine Rezgui also known by his other name Aby Yahya al-Qayrawani, strolled on the beach like any other tourist, hiding his Kalashnikov rifle inside a parasol before launching the attack.
According to news.com.au, witnesses recalled hearing the gunman laugh as he went around choosing his victims by their nationality, specifically targeting British, Belgian, French and Irish people.
The Islamic State claimed the attack to be theirs. A picture of the killer was posted on various social media accounts of IS with the accompanying statement: “Our brother, the soldier of the Caliphate, Abu Yahya al Qayrawani, reached his target the Imperial hotel despite the security measures.” Another statement they released via Twitter claimed that most of the victims were chosen for belonging in the states that take up arms against the caliphate.
Videos taken by people on site showed tourists running away from the gunman as gunshots are heard on the background. Saera Wilson, one of the tourists sunning on the beach during the attack, survived relatively unharmed when her fiancé, Matthew James, shielded her from the gunman.
In a report from the same site, Wilson recalled how James covered her as the gunman approached and took aim. Every time he tried to move, he was shot. In total, he was shot three times: in the shoulder, chest and hip.
She then remembered how James told her he loved her but she must go and look after their kids. Wilson ran and took cover inside a cupboard. When the shooting stopped, she looked for her betrothed and found out he was taken to the hospital. James’ pelvis was shattered by a shot and he suffered from a heart attack but survived and is now confined in the intensive care unit. The couple have two children back in Wales and they planned to get married in 2017.
Survivor Tony Callaghan, 52, in an interview with BBC, talked about his plight during the attack. He and his wife Chris acquired non-fatal gunshot wounds. He recalled how he looked down a corridor and found at least two females shot dead. Arriving in an office, he saw a young couple, with the guy sitting on a chair holding the hand of his girlfriend. Callaghan checked for the girlfriend’s pulse but found none. The guy then told Callaghan how they were getting married in two weeks and now he does not know what to do.
The gunman was shot dead by the responding authorities; however, it could not erase the horror of the carnage he left behind as his dying legacy. For those who have relatives in Tunisia who have not been in contact, UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office can be reached in this number: 0207 008 0000.
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