Date: September 21, 2013
Photographer: Tyler Hicks – New York Times Photographer
Details: On Saturday, September 21, 2013, four armed militants stormed the upscale Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, initiating a massive terrorist attack. They opened fire on shoppers, leading to a massacre. Immediately, security forces imposed a lockdown on the mall and began a rescue operation to save those trapped inside and search for the attackers. Given the size of the mall, the operation continued for four days. The attack and siege resulted in the deaths of 67 people, including the attackers, and injured more than 200 others, including foreign tourists. The Somali militant group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, describing it as retaliation for Kenya’s military intervention in Somalia to support the UN-backed government. This incident had a negative impact on Kenya’s image abroad, leading to a decrease in tourism and causing significant harm to Kenya’s vital economic sector.
As for the photograph, its photographer, Tyler Hicks, shared the behind-the-scenes story. He mentioned that he arrived at the mall after hearing about the attack, initially thinking it was a simple robbery rather than a major terrorist assault. Upon arrival, he saw hundreds of people fleeing in terror from the building, which made him realize the situation was more severe than he had initially thought. His concern grew as he saw injured people being carried out on shopping carts, evidently from gunshots, and bodies scattered around. He decided to document the situation but initially found himself in an exposed area inside, prompting him to consider leaving due to the danger.
However, he noticed a young woman hiding on the floor of a café with her two children, surrounded by spent bullet casings. They were frozen in place. Hicks decided to capture this iconic image, which was later published in his newspaper in the United States and then across global media. Due to its content, it won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize and second place in the 2014 International Press Awards.
Days after winning the award, Hicks received an email from the woman in the photo, Faith Wambua Ludeing, congratulating him on the win. He contacted her and had a video call, where he saw her children—a two-year-old boy and a ten-year-old girl. Faith recounted the harrowing experience before, during, and after the photo was taken. She initially thought the mall was collapsing due to an earthquake and then began hearing screams. She decided to lie down on the floor with her children to avoid falling debris, choosing a spot next to a café and away from stores, which was where the photograph was taken. She began hearing gunshots nearby, the sounds of spent casings falling around her, and the smell of gunpowder, which intensified her fear. She initially thought it was a bank robbery, not a terrorist attack, and questioned why the attackers hadn’t left. Her children asked her what was happening, and she told them she didn’t know but urged them to stay still and quiet while she prayed for their safety. After lying in that position for about five hours, her son fell asleep. She then heard someone calling her to get up and leave because the area was safe. As she and her children were about to leave, more gunshots were heard, causing her to lie down again until a police officer crawled to them, assuring them everything was now safe. Faith felt her prayers had been answered and left the mall, crying with her children, relieved to be free.
