UNITED STATES: 8-YEAR-OLD OKLAHOMA BOMBING VICTIM REBECCA DENNY RECOUNTS HER EXPERIENCE OF THE 1995 BOMB EXPLOSION

Record ID: 338194

  • Title: UNITED STATES: 8-YEAR-OLD OKLAHOMA BOMBING VICTIM REBECCA DENNY RECOUNTS HER EXPERIENCE OF THE 1995 BOMB EXPLOSION
  • Date: 9th June 2001
  • Summary: (U7)OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, UNITED STATES (JUNE 9, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV: BRANDON AND REBECCA DENNY WALKING 0.08 2. SV: THE DENNY FAMILY LOOKING AT PHOTOS FROM THE AFTERMATH OF THE BOMBING 1.16 3. CU: PICTURE OF REBECCA'S INJURIES 0.32 4. SCU: (SOUNDBITE)( English) REBECCA DENNY SAYING: "People were screaming. I only r
  • Embargoed: 24th June 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAC1KT3XQNL8Y0NGNRPMR0SM8A8
  • Story Text: Brandon and Rebecca Denny nearly died in the 1995
    Oklahoma city bombing. Nineteen of their playmates did.The
    Denny family spoke softly as they retold the most horrifying
    experience they had ever known.


    Eight-year-old Rebecca Denny was trembling as she
    spoke softly of the most horrifying experience she had ever
    known. She was playing with her friends in the nursery of the
    Alfred P. Murrah building when the bomb went off, severely
    burning 60 per cent of her body. Rebecca was only two years
    old at the time.

    "People were screaming. I only remember the bomb and my
    friend Colton died and people were screaming loud, because
    babies were in there and their kids and their older children
    and their parents and stuff like that."
    It was the worst act of terrorism on ever on U.S. soil.

    "I was thinking that I died and I won't see my mom or my
    dad again, or my brother and I didn't remember anything."
    Claudia Denny clutched a handkerchief and wept as her
    daughter spoke of the horror. Claudia recalls the burns which
    covered most of Rebecca's body.

    "I know what kind of pain she was in, and the only thing I
    could say is I wish I could go through it for her, but I
    couldn't. It's just I am just honoured, because she has such a
    big heart."
    After the first day at the intensive care unit, doctors
    told Jim and Claudia Denny that their daughter's life was no
    longer in danger. But the family's devastation was only
    beginning as their son Brandon lay in a hospital bed nearby on
    life support.

    Eight-year-old Brandon had suffered an open head injury
    and, upon arrival at the hospital, his brain was protruding
    from his head, said his father. Initially, doctors told Jim
    and his wife that Brandon would not live.

    "Brandon...they removed a portion of brain and the portion
    of brain they removed affects his right side and his speech.

    So, number one, we prayed like the dickens that he would live
    and then, if he did live, we didn't know if he would ever walk
    or talk again, so here you see Brandon Denny."
    McVeigh is set to die by a lethal injection of three
    chemicals -- scheduled for 7 a.m. (8 a.m. EDT/1200 GMT) on
    Monday (June 11). It will be the first time since 1963 that
    the U.S. government has carried out an execution.

    "I want to make it very clear that I believe in the death
    penalty , so does Claudia, we are pro death penalty, but there
    is a fine line between revenge and justice. We believe in it,
    because it's justice. Monday will be a day were the world
    will see that the system in America works," said Denny.

    As for Rebecca, she believes McVeigh should die for what
    he did. She believes Mcveigh will go to heaven and God will
    forgive him.

    But, asked if she herself will ever forgive McVeigh,
    Rebecca said no.

    " No ..no..cause my friend died and all I know is that if it
    wasn't for the doctors I wouldn't be alive."

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