8-year-old Buffalo shooting survivor who hid in cooler: 'I wasn’t scared'
On Don Lemon Tonight Wednesday, Lemon welcomed a family who were in the Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York Saturday when a gunman opened fire, killing 10 in a racially motivated attack. 8-year-old London hid in a cooler with her father Lamont Thomas, while her mother, Julie Harwood, was on the other side of the store.
“London, what were you thinking as all of this was going on?” Lemon asked. “I mean, your dad said he had his hand over your mouth, he was trying to shield you. Were you scared? What were you thinking?” “I wasn’t scared,” London replied. “I was just scared for my mom.”
Lamont echoed London’s sentiment that she feared for her mother as the shooting occurred.
“She was crying, but she was crying because she thought that her mom was out there,” Lamont said. Lamont went on to say that London asked why all the shots were being fired, before adding, “Only good thing is that she never got to walk out there and see the carnage, she just was able to hear it.”
Harwood escaped unscathed, but for 20 minutes after the shooter had been apprehended, she had no idea if her family was okay.
“I’m frantic because I’m not even knowing that the killer is, like, two feet away from me getting arrested,” Julie said. “I still was oblivious because I did not know if they were safe or not. So I was just going crazy basically. I couldn’t even think. No one would tell me anything.”
Video Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
DON LEMON: London what were you what were you thinking as all of this was-- going was going on? I mean, your dad said he had his hand over your mouth, he was trying to shield you. Were you scared? What were you thinking?
- I wasn't scared. I was just scared for my mom.
KYLIE MAR: Eight-year-old London and her parents Lamont and Julie appeared on "Don Lemon Tonight" Wednesday to speak about their harrowing experience when a gunman opened fire at a Buffalo supermarket, killing 10 in a racially motivated attack. London and Lamont were able to hide in a cooler, while Julie was on the other side of the store. And London feared for her mother's safety.
LAMONT THOMAS: She was crying, but she thought that her mom was out there. Why all the shots are being fired. Only good thing is that she never got to walk out there and see the carnage. She just was able to hear it.
KYLIE MAR: Julie shared London's fear. Even as police were on the scene and the shooter was apprehended, she didn't yet know if her family was OK.
JULIE HARWOOD: I'm frantic because I'm not even knowing that the killer is like two feet away from me getting arrested. I still was oblivious because I did not know if they were safe or not. So I was just going crazy basically.
KYLIE MAR: And though London wasn't much for words, she was happy her mother was safe.
DON LEMON: When you first saw your mom after this, what was that like for you?
- Great. It was good.
