[Ben Towe]

The use of bombs/grenades may have had at least something to with reactions (interesting aside: that one grenade that was tossed into the group had a really long fuse, 6-7 seconds. Long enough to football kick it or throw it back at the terrorist if one had had the presence of mind to do so). Shelling does strange things to people. Men who will charge entrenched positions on a regular basis can break under shelling. These were your average Joe and Jane doctors, nurses and patients. They were dazed, confused, terrified, and apparently unarmed.

We don't get the full picture of the assault from the CCTV cameras. How did they assault the building? Did they have teams stationed around the perimeter to prevent escape? How big were the entry teams and how did they move throughout the building? How large is the building and how is it laid out? Where are the exits and how many are there? Are the exits easily accessible?

You must bear in mind this isn't a lone gunman on a psychotic break. These people are jihadists who have probably had training, maybe even some special forces training. It's highly likely this isn't the first time they have fired a shot in anger. The victims may have reacted poorly, or there may have been no other way to react. The whole place may have been orchestrated into a kill box and nothing short of being able to shoot your way out would have saved your life. Without details, we cannot know.

I did notice that at least some of the victims appeared to be shot from ambush (in the hallway). Even extensively trained and well armed people are susceptible to that tactic. It's very difficult to defend against that in a hall or room with multiple entrances.