Al-Shabaab gunmen attacked a Nairobi shopping centre during a four-day siege.
Updated 20 Aug 2026
Armed members of al-Shabaab entered the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi on 21 September 2013 and opened fire on shoppers and staff. [1]
Kenyan security forces ended the siege after four days. The FBI and other international agencies assisted with victim identification, evidence recovery, and reconstruction of the attack. [2]
5 sourced milestones
Major events in the case, shown in chronological order.
Al-Shabaab attackers entered the Nairobi shopping centre and opened fire on shoppers and staff, beginning a prolonged siege.
Source: Parliament of Kenya ↗Security operations continued for several days as people were evacuated and authorities worked to end the attack inside the complex.
Source: Parliament of Kenya ↗The FBI and other international agencies assisted Kenyan authorities with victim identification, evidence recovery, and reconstruction.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation ↗A Nairobi trial court convicted two defendants on several terrorism-related counts after a prosecution involving 46 witnesses.
Source: Kenya Law ↗The High Court quashed two counts but left other convictions and their sentences in place after reviewing the Westgate-related prosecution.
Source: Kenya Law ↗0 videos
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