What You Need to Know About the Kenyan College Massacre
Keep reading to learn about the attack and its aftermath.
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Mourning a Massacre - Earlier this month, the Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabab launched a bloody day of violence and terror at a Kenyan college, massacring scores of students and staff and stunning the international community. Keep reading to learn more about this tragedy and its aftermath. —Patrice Peck with reporting from Associated Press(Photo: Ben Curtis/AP Photo)
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A Day of Violence and Terror - When four masked al-Shabab gunmen attacked Garissa University College on Thursday, April 2, 148 people were killed. This assault marks the deadliest in Kenya since the 1998 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi that left more than 200 people dead, the Associated Press reports. Christians were singled out and killed on the spot, but some Muslims and women were also reportedly among the dead, despite the attackers' vow to spare them. While six policemen and soldiers were killed in the siege, security forces ultimately killed the four attackers and arrested five suspects. A survivor of the killings was also discovered in a wardrobe on campus, two days after the attack. (Photo: AP Photo)
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Pope: Kenya School Attack a 'Senseless Brutality' - According to the AP, Pope Francis sent a telegram of condolence regarding the school attack. He condemned al-Shabab's assault as an act of "senseless brutality" and asked those responsible to change their violent ways. The Pope also called on Kenyan authorities to put an end to similar attacks and "hasten the dawn of a new era of brotherhood, justice and peace."(Photo: AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
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President Responds to Extremists' Threats - "No amount of precaution or safety measures will be able to guarantee your safety, thwart another attack or prevent another bloodbath," al-Shabab allegedly said two days after the siege, according to the SITE intelligence monitoring group. "Kenyan cities will run red with blood." The group also cited the killing of rebels in Somalia by Kenyan troops as the reason for the college attack. President Uhuru Kenyatta responded to the threats in a nationally televised address. "We will fight terrorism to the end," said Kenyatta, referring to his administration. "I guarantee that my administration shall respond in the fiercest way possible."(Photo: AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
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Government Official's Son Among Gunmen - One of the gunmen involved in the attack and later killed by security forces was identified as the son of a Kenyan government official, AP reports. Abdirahim Mohammed Abdullahi, a law school graduate from the Somalia-bordering Mandera County, went missing last year. Abdullahi's involvement underscores how terrorist attacks stem not only from Somalia, but within Kenya as well. (Photo: AP Photo/Khalil Senosi)
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