According to the New York Times, the 24-year-old man who was said to be an al-Shabaab terrorist simply walked up to an armed Kenyan police officer guarding a closed entrance and attacked him.
The victim was trying to gain entry into the embassy’s visa section.
“Witnesses said he walked up to the officer, pulled out a knife and began shouting “why?, why?, why?” before he stabbed the officer in the face,”
published the NYT.
The two fell to the ground and it was at this point that the officer jerked up his assault rifle and fired four times into the man.
It was reported that the scene became frenzied as people jumped behind cars, others hit the pavements while others ducked behind their steering wheels.
Immediately, loud speakers blared out “duck and cover! Get away from the windows”.
Even after he was shot, another police officer walked up to his lifeless body, stood over him and shot him once at point blank range in the head.
“The assailants’s body lay sprawled on the sidewalk, eyes open, a gaping wound in the top of his head. Onlookers covered their mouths,”
added NYT.
"This was a suicide mission. You attack a G.S.U officer with a knife? You do that only to kill and be killed,” said a private security guard at the Embassy.
It was reported that the paramilitary officer sustained multiple stab wounds to the face but he managed to walk to a nearby hospital for treatment.
It was not known if the suspect had issues with the Kenyan or American governments before the attack.