22:18
After leaving the house, at exactly 3:56 p.m., James Huberty walked into the San Ysidro McDonald's carrying three firearms and a bag full of ammunition. What happened next would be one of the deadliest mass shootings of the decade. Employees behind the counter barely noticed Huberty at first. After all, people came and went all day. But something about this man was different. Dressed in military-style fatigues, with dark sunglasses, and a bag slung over his shoulder, he wasn't there to order food. Before anyone could react, Huberty pulled out a 9-mm Uzi and raised it toward the counter.
One employee, 17-year-old John Arnold, was standing at the register when Huberty pointed the weapon directly at him. But instead of firing, Huberty simply pulled the trigger. Click. Nothing. The gun had jammed. For a brief moment, silence filled the restaurant. John Arnold froze, expecting to die, but nothing happened. His manager, 22-year-old Hernandez Herrera, snapped at him, thinking he was joking. "Stop fooling around and get back to work," she said. But before anyone had time to process what was happening, Huberty fixed the jam, adjusted his grip, and pulled the trigger again. And this time, the gun fired.
His first victims were 22-year-old Victor Rivera and 6-year-old Carlos Reyes. As Huberty unleashed a hail of bullets, customers dove for cover. Some tried to hide beneath tables, others desperately attempting to escape. As the gunfire continued, panic spread through the restaurant. Some employees managed to escape through the back door. But for those trapped inside, there was nowhere to run. Huberty methodically walked from table to table, shooting at anyone in sight. In a horrific display of cruelty, he targeted families, including 11-year-old David Delgado and his mother, who were killed while trying to shield one another.
The attack lasted for 77 minutes, but felt like an eternity. In total, Huberty would fire over 250 rounds, with many of his victims being children, including the 8-month-old Carlos Gallardo, who was shot in his mother's arms. At 4:00 p.m., the first police officers arrived on scene. But due to initial confusion, officers believed the shooter was holding hostages inside, leading to a delay in action. As the gunfire continued, SWAT teams prepared for a possible standoff. Outside, horrified bystanders watched in terror, knowing their loved ones were trapped inside. For nearly an hour, James Huberty continued his rampage.
Law enforcement maintained a perimeter, but didn't immediately storm the building. Inside, the death toll continued to rise. Finally, at 5:17 p.m., after over 77 minutes of carnage, a SWAT sniper, positioned on a nearby rooftop, was given the order to fire. One shot. That was all it took. The bullet struck Huberty in the chest, killing him instantly. But before being killed by the SWAT sniper, Huberty's last known words were allegedly, "I've killed thousands, and I'll kill a thousand more."
By the time James Huberty was taken down, the San Ysidro McDonald's had become a war zone. Bodies lay scattered across the floor, blood-stained walls, and a once-bustling restaurant had turned into a scene of unimaginable horror. The final death toll was a staggering 21 people killed and 19 others wounded.
