Brave boy who challenged the Westgate mall terrorist

 

Eliott Prior confronted a gunman  Photo: Courtesy

Compiled by Sheila Kimani (@sheilakimm)

Soon after his mother had been shot on the thigh during the Westgate mall terror incident, Elliot Prior, a four-year-old British boy showed astonishing bravery by confronting the marauding gunman who ended up begging for his forgiveness.

Elliot Prior, from Windsor, Berkshire, told one of the terrorists that he was a 'very bad man' as he protected his mother, Amber, who had been shot in the leg, and six-year-old sister Amelie.

Incredibly, the attacker took pity on the family and bizarrely handed the children Mars bars before telling them: 'Please forgive me, we are not monsters.'

All this was going on as gunfire rent the air but the family stayed strong hoping for the best.

His mother (Amber, a film producer) told of how she was on the queue to buy milk when the terrorists struck, causing mayhem within the mall. In a bid to stay safe, she and her children hid under a cold meat counter in the Nakumatt supermarket for an hour-and-a-half, upon until the terrorists found them and shot her on the leg.

Elliot's uncle, Alex Coutts, told The Sun: 'They had a lucky escape. The terrorists said if any of the kids were alive in the supermarket they could leave.

'Amber made the decision to stand up and say "yes".

Afterwards the terrorists gave the kids some bars of Mars Choclates and asked them to leave. Fortunately, Elliot, his mother and sister left the mall safe.

Here are some of the incident's photos