![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaBullets and panic – the Moscow concert that became a massacrePublished9 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, The BBC’s Steve Rosenberg visits the scene of the attackBy Paul KirbyBBC NewsIt was just before eight o’clock and the auditorium at Crocus City Hall was filling up, ahead of a Friday night rock concert by veteran band Picnic.”Some people in brown clothing, I don’t know who they were – terrorists, military, whoever – broke into the auditorium and started shooting at people with assault rifles,” said photographer Dave Primov, who saw the attack unfold from an upstairs balcony.Warning: Some of the details of this story are graphicThe gunmen had just walked across the concourse outside the theatre, opening fire at random, killing and wounding members of the public as they walked in. Some 6,200 tickets had been sold for the concert, but security outside the entrance quickly melted away. One of four guards said his colleagues hid behind an advertising board: “Those attackers passed 10m [30ft] away from us – they started shooting randomly at people on the ground floor.”Four suspects arrested, says Russia – follow events LIVENo-one knew how many attackers there were. But video filmed from an upper floor shows four men in camouflage gear, walking separately with a few metres between them across the beige, marble-tiled floor. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Footage shows gunmen in the lobby of Crocus Concert HallThe lead attacker aims point-blank at people huddled against the windows. These are the first victims of Russia’s deadliest attack on civilians for years.Many of those killed and wounded came from Krasnogorsk, Khimki and other nearby towns on Moscow’s north-western fringe.A second attacker then joins in, while a third calmly follows carrying a backpack. The fourth man hands him his weapon and they walk through the unguarded metal detectors towards the auditorium.One woman was with her 11-year-old daughter, buying ice cream at a café near the entrance, when they heard the noise and someone shouted to get down on the floor.”We rushed to the children, lay down and started setting up barricades from tables and chairs, and several wounded people came running to us,” she told BBC Russian.Inside the theatre, the concert had been due to start in just a few minutes and some thought the noise might be part of the act. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Footage shows people taking cover inside the venue as multiple shots are heardSofiko Kvirikashvili heard what she initially thought was “some kind of endless burst of firecrackers – I turned around in the hall once, then again. The third time, I realised everyone in the hall had started running away in all directions.”Dave Primov, the photographer, said there was a crush and a scene of panic. Some in the theatre tried to lie down between the seats, but with several gunmen opening fire in the stalls, that offered little protection.Those in the audience who could, headed for the stage. Others tried to find higher exits, only to find some of the doors locked. Eyewitnesses said there were elderly people as well as children there, all caught up in the attack.One woman had been in one of the higher circles and ran down towards the stage, from where she saw a man in the stalls opening fire: “We ran behind the curtain and one of the Crocus employees in uniform told us to run and we ran out into the car park without any winter clothes.”Image source, AFPImage caption, Survivors told of panic inside the building as people tried to escapeMargarita Bunova had just got hold of opera glasses for the show when she heard what she thought were firecrackers, which then turned into rapid bursts that she and her husband identified as gunfire. “Somebody said run downstairs and it was complete darkness… we could still hear bursts of shooting behind us by the time we got out.”One man in a VIP box told how he and others barricaded themselves in only to find smoke billowing through the theatre.Another man, Vitaly, saw the attack unfolding from a balcony: “They threw some petrol bombs, everything started burning.” Whether it was a petrol bomb or another incendiary device, the flames spread rapidly.Image source, VASILY PRUDNIKOV/EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockFirefighters could not get near the building because of the attack. The fire soon spread to the roof and could be seen across the skyline in Krasnogorsk. Part of the roof collapsed and the fire spread to the front of the building, gutting the top two floors.Many of those in the auditorium fled through the foyer. One graphic video shows people rushing down escalators past two bodies propped up against a sofa.Another video shows people fleeing as the crackling of gunfire echoes around them. They make it to the relative safety of the back of the building, where some sit huddled and others hold on to each other as they file through corridors.For a moment, a TV monitor shows the chaos on the front of the stage. There is no sign of Russian police or special forces anywhere in the building.The survivors climbed a staircase and reached the Crocus City Hall’s trade entrance. One man was seen retching, while others phoned loved ones and walked away.Eva, an assistant to a dance group, was backstage when the attackers burst into the auditorium. “We were in the dressing room, a crowd rushed past us. We heard noise and people running in the corridor; we grabbed our coats and ran with the crowd.”Initially, all the members of the group, Picnic, were declared safe and well, but later unconfirmed reports suggested one of the musicians was unaccounted for.As the death toll grew beyond 100 and the number of wounded above 200, the scale and indiscriminate nature of the massacre became clearer, both inside and outside the auditorium. The first official list of casualties suggested the oldest victim was in her 70s, while children were also among the dead and wounded.Image source, Ostorozhno Novosti via ReutersImage caption, Russian authorities said the attackers used this car to escape the Krasnogorsk attackA picture of a white Renault car with two occupants appeared on social media channels linked to Russia’s security agencies.Jihadist group Islamic State said in a brief statement that it was behind the attack, without specifying which affiliated branch. That tallied with a US intelligence account indicating IS had wanted to attack Russia. Two weeks earlier, the US had warned of a potential attack targeting “large gatherings” in Moscow, although Russian officials have complained the intelligence lacked specific detail.Ukraine quickly denied any involvement, insisting its attacks were confined to the battlefield.But Russia’s FSB security service claimed the perpetrators had sought to cross Russia into Ukraine and had “relevant contacts” there. A number of people have been detained, including four alleged attackers, says the FSB.Returning to the scene on Saturday, Margarita Bunova and her husband Pavel said the first thing they did when they got back home was hug their children.It was not until Saturday afternoon in Moscow that the president addressed the Russian public, speaking of an entire nation in grief.He compared the killers to the Nazis of World War Two and said no-one could undermine Russian unity. A national day of mourning would take place on Sunday, he added.Related TopicsRussiaMoscowMore on this storyGunmen open fire at Moscow concert hall killing 115Published2 hours agoWitness films escape from Moscow attackPublished5 hours agoMoscow attack: ‘The first thing you notice is the smell’ Video, 00:01:05Moscow attack: ‘The first thing you notice is the smell’Published1 hour ago1:05Top StoriesLive. All suspects arrested after at least 115 killed in Moscow concert attack, Russia saysBullets, a crush and panic: Moscow concert that became a massacrePublished9 minutes agoKate cancer diagnosis rewrites story of past weeksPublished12 hours agoFeaturesWhat is preventative chemotherapy?Kate: We’ve taken time to reassure George, Charlotte and Louis VideoKate: We’ve taken time to reassure George, Charlotte and Louis What Kate video tells us about royal strategyMoscow concert hall attack videos examined. VideoMoscow concert hall attack videos examinedMy father’s diary left me wondering whether he was a killerThe Nazi hunter and the lost IRA documentaryFirst J-Pop, then K-Pop – could I-Pop be next?South Africa’s deadly love affair with gunsRevisiting Oasis’ first tour venues, 30 years onElsewhere on the BBCFancy a film tonight?There’s something for everyone on BBC iPlayerAttributioniPlayerWhy did four tragic murders spark an online obsession?The case racked up nearly two billion views on TikTok worldwideAttributioniPlayerCan they take on an elite boarding school?Five black inner-city teens must leave their old worlds behind…AttributioniPlayerThe moment a fireball was caught on camera…But what was it and where did it end up?AttributioniPlayerMost Read1First woman completes one of world’s toughest races2Kate cancer diagnosis rewrites story of past weeks3David Potts crowned winner of Celebrity Big Brother4King ‘so proud of Kate’s courage’ after cancer news5Jordan North: How safe is vaping for my health?6What we know about Kate’s cancer diagnosis7Sick people leaving workforce at record highs8My father’s diary left me wondering whether he was a killer9Bullets, a crush and panic: Moscow concert that became a massacre10First J-Pop, then K-Pop – could I-Pop be next?](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/3AF1/production/_132998051_fire.jpg)
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaBullets and panic – the Moscow concert that became a massacrePublished9 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, The BBC’s Steve Rosenberg visits the scene of the attackBy Paul KirbyBBC NewsIt was just before eight o’clock and the auditorium at Crocus City Hall was filling up, ahead of a Friday night rock concert by veteran band Picnic.”Some people in brown clothing, I don’t know who they were – terrorists, military, whoever – broke into the auditorium and started shooting at people with assault rifles,” said photographer Dave Primov, who saw the attack unfold from an upstairs balcony.Warning: Some of the details of this story are graphicThe gunmen had just walked across the concourse outside the theatre, opening fire at random, killing and wounding members of the public as they walked in. Some 6,200 tickets had been sold for the concert, but security outside the entrance quickly melted away. One of four guards said his colleagues hid behind an advertising board: “Those attackers passed 10m [30ft] away from us – they started shooting randomly at people on the ground floor.”Four suspects arrested, says Russia – follow events LIVENo-one knew how many attackers there were. But video filmed from an upper floor shows four men in camouflage gear, walking separately with a few metres between them across the beige, marble-tiled floor. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Footage shows gunmen in the lobby of Crocus Concert HallThe lead attacker aims point-blank at people huddled against the windows. These are the first victims of Russia’s deadliest attack on civilians for years.Many of those killed and wounded came from Krasnogorsk, Khimki and other nearby towns on Moscow’s north-western fringe.A second attacker then joins in, while a third calmly follows carrying a backpack. The fourth man hands him his weapon and they walk through the unguarded metal detectors towards the auditorium.One woman was with her 11-year-old daughter, buying ice cream at a café near the entrance, when they heard the noise and someone shouted to get down on the floor.”We rushed to the children, lay down and started setting up barricades from tables and chairs, and several wounded people came running to us,” she told BBC Russian.Inside the theatre, the concert had been due to start in just a few minutes and some thought the noise might be part of the act. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Footage shows people taking cover inside the venue as multiple shots are heardSofiko Kvirikashvili heard what she initially thought was “some kind of endless burst of firecrackers – I turned around in the hall once, then again. The third time, I realised everyone in the hall had started running away in all directions.”Dave Primov, the photographer, said there was a crush and a scene of panic. Some in the theatre tried to lie down between the seats, but with several gunmen opening fire in the stalls, that offered little protection.Those in the audience who could, headed for the stage. Others tried to find higher exits, only to find some of the doors locked. Eyewitnesses said there were elderly people as well as children there, all caught up in the attack.One woman had been in one of the higher circles and ran down towards the stage, from where she saw a man in the stalls opening fire: “We ran behind the curtain and one of the Crocus employees in uniform told us to run and we ran out into the car park without any winter clothes.”Image source, AFPImage caption, Survivors told of panic inside the building as people tried to escapeMargarita Bunova had just got hold of opera glasses for the show when she heard what she thought were firecrackers, which then turned into rapid bursts that she and her husband identified as gunfire. “Somebody said run downstairs and it was complete darkness… we could still hear bursts of shooting behind us by the time we got out.”One man in a VIP box told how he and others barricaded themselves in only to find smoke billowing through the theatre.Another man, Vitaly, saw the attack unfolding from a balcony: “They threw some petrol bombs, everything started burning.” Whether it was a petrol bomb or another incendiary device, the flames spread rapidly.Image source, VASILY PRUDNIKOV/EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockFirefighters could not get near the building because of the attack. The fire soon spread to the roof and could be seen across the skyline in Krasnogorsk. Part of the roof collapsed and the fire spread to the front of the building, gutting the top two floors.Many of those in the auditorium fled through the foyer. One graphic video shows people rushing down escalators past two bodies propped up against a sofa.Another video shows people fleeing as the crackling of gunfire echoes around them. They make it to the relative safety of the back of the building, where some sit huddled and others hold on to each other as they file through corridors.For a moment, a TV monitor shows the chaos on the front of the stage. There is no sign of Russian police or special forces anywhere in the building.The survivors climbed a staircase and reached the Crocus City Hall’s trade entrance. One man was seen retching, while others phoned loved ones and walked away.Eva, an assistant to a dance group, was backstage when the attackers burst into the auditorium. “We were in the dressing room, a crowd rushed past us. We heard noise and people running in the corridor; we grabbed our coats and ran with the crowd.”Initially, all the members of the group, Picnic, were declared safe and well, but later unconfirmed reports suggested one of the musicians was unaccounted for.As the death toll grew beyond 100 and the number of wounded above 200, the scale and indiscriminate nature of the massacre became clearer, both inside and outside the auditorium. The first official list of casualties suggested the oldest victim was in her 70s, while children were also among the dead and wounded.Image source, Ostorozhno Novosti via ReutersImage caption, Russian authorities said the attackers used this car to escape the Krasnogorsk attackA picture of a white Renault car with two occupants appeared on social media channels linked to Russia’s security agencies.Jihadist group Islamic State said in a brief statement that it was behind the attack, without specifying which affiliated branch. That tallied with a US intelligence account indicating IS had wanted to attack Russia. Two weeks earlier, the US had warned of a potential attack targeting “large gatherings” in Moscow, although Russian officials have complained the intelligence lacked specific detail.Ukraine quickly denied any involvement, insisting its attacks were confined to the battlefield.But Russia’s FSB security service claimed the perpetrators had sought to cross Russia into Ukraine and had “relevant contacts” there. A number of people have been detained, including four alleged attackers, says the FSB.Returning to the scene on Saturday, Margarita Bunova and her husband Pavel said the first thing they did when they got back home was hug their children.It was not until Saturday afternoon in Moscow that the president addressed the Russian public, speaking of an entire nation in grief.He compared the killers to the Nazis of World War Two and said no-one could undermine Russian unity. A national day of mourning would take place on Sunday, he added.Related TopicsRussiaMoscowMore on this storyGunmen open fire at Moscow concert hall killing 115Published2 hours agoWitness films escape from Moscow attackPublished5 hours agoMoscow attack: ‘The first thing you notice is the smell’ Video, 00:01:05Moscow attack: ‘The first thing you notice is the smell’Published1 hour ago1:05Top StoriesLive. All suspects arrested after at least 115 killed in Moscow concert attack, Russia saysBullets, a crush and panic: Moscow concert that became a massacrePublished9 minutes agoKate cancer diagnosis rewrites story of past weeksPublished12 hours agoFeaturesWhat is preventative chemotherapy?Kate: We’ve taken time to reassure George, Charlotte and Louis VideoKate: We’ve taken time to reassure George, Charlotte and Louis What Kate video tells us about royal strategyMoscow concert hall attack videos examined. VideoMoscow concert hall attack videos examinedMy father’s diary left me wondering whether he was a killerThe Nazi hunter and the lost IRA documentaryFirst J-Pop, then K-Pop – could I-Pop be next?South Africa’s deadly love affair with gunsRevisiting Oasis’ first tour venues, 30 years onElsewhere on the BBCFancy a film tonight?There’s something for everyone on BBC iPlayerAttributioniPlayerWhy did four tragic murders spark an online obsession?The case racked up nearly two billion views on TikTok worldwideAttributioniPlayerCan they take on an elite boarding school?Five black inner-city teens must leave their old worlds behind…AttributioniPlayerThe moment a fireball was caught on camera…But what was it and where did it end up?AttributioniPlayerMost Read1First woman completes one of world’s toughest races2Kate cancer diagnosis rewrites story of past weeks3David Potts crowned winner of Celebrity Big Brother4King ‘so proud of Kate’s courage’ after cancer news5Jordan North: How safe is vaping for my health?6What we know about Kate’s cancer diagnosis7Sick people leaving workforce at record highs8My father’s diary left me wondering whether he was a killer9Bullets, a crush and panic: Moscow concert that became a massacre10First J-Pop, then K-Pop – could I-Pop be next?
[ad_1] People initially thought they heard firecrackers, but they soon realised they were under attack.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaEx-US generals who oversaw Afghan exit describe chaos and challenges of withdrawalPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in Afghanistan (2001-2021)This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Afghanistan evacuation a ‘strategic failure’, says former generalBy Max MatzaBBC NewsTwo ex-American generals who led the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 have testified to Congress. Mark Milley, former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, and Kenneth McKenzie, who led US Central Command, testified for the first time since retiring.Republican lawmakers held President Joe Biden responsible for the disastrous exit, while Democrats blamed the Trump administration’s deal with the Taliban. But the two generals seemed unwilling to back either party’s argument. Instead, they said that both the Biden and Trump administrations had a role in the disastrous withdrawal, as did the administrations that preceded them.The Doha agreement – a deal former President Donald Trump negotiated with the Taliban that set the terms for the US departure – “pulled the rug out, morale wise” of both the Afghan security forces and government, Mr Milley said. But he added later that the “fundamental flaw” of the US exit was the timing of the Biden administration’s decision to order a civilian evacuation in Afghanistan. He said it had come “too slow and too late”.He also emphasised that he had advised top American officials that the US “needed to maintain a minimum force of 2,500 troops on the ground” in order to prevent the Taliban from seizing control.”Without this support, it was my view at the time, that it was a matter of ‘when, not if’ the Afghan government would collapse and the Taliban would take control,” said Mr Milley.Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani’s decision to flee the country as the Taliban marched toward Kabul was then “the straw that broke the camel’s back”, he said. Still, both men maintained that no single factor alone led to the US failure in Afghanistan, and they seemed to support the idea that the US should review the entire 20-year history of the conflict, not just its conclusion – a point supported by Democrats.”We helped build an army, a state but we could not build a nation,” Mr Milley said, calling the outcome a “strategic failure”.They also acknowledged that remaining in Afghanistan would probably have put American troops in harm’s way, as the Taliban would have restarted its fight with the US for staying on beyond an agreed 31 August departure deadline, Mr McKenzie said, citing intelligence reports he had reviewed. Both men said the Taliban, which they characterised as a terrorist organisation, harbours militants who wish to target the US. “They themselves [the Taliban] don’t have a desire to attack us and our homeland, but they do harbour entities and organisations that do have a desire to do that,” Mr McKenzie said.Image source, Getty ImagesFamily members of American soldiers who died in the suicide blast at the Kabul airport and others who served in Afghanistan attended the hearing. They watched as the former military leaders gave their sober assessments about the US withdrawal. As it was the two retired generals’ first time testifying since leaving the service, both were able to be more candid in their criticisms of US civilian officials and policymakers. Much of their criticism was directed at the US Department of State for not issuing the order to evacuate American civilians months earlier. Mr McKenzie and Mr Milley both testified that the US still does not know how many Americans were in Afghanistan, and it remains unclear how many were able to safely get out.While much of the hearing rehashed old arguments made by Democrats and Republicans, there was some bipartisan news welcomed by lawmakers in the room.Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, announced that the White House and Congressional leaders had agreed to grant 12,000 more special immigrant visas for Afghan nationals who assisted the US. He said it would be included in a budget deal that is expected to pass this week. Veterans of the war in Afghanistan and lawmakers have been fighting to expand the number of visas for Afghanistan immigrants, as only about 7,000 remained. The US has issued about 1,000 per month recently, raising fears that they could run out. US troops pulled out of Afghanistan after 20 years – the country’s longest ever war – and it left many Afghans who supported American forces in danger, particularly as viable exits from the country closed. The violent withdrawal dented perceptions of Mr Biden’s international competence. Republicans have since seized on the failed exit as key line of attack ahead of the November presidential election.The Biden administration and Democrats have regularly blamed Donald Trump for negotiating the agreement with the Taliban that led to the withdrawal, arguing that his decisions “severely constrained” Mr Biden’s options.A government watchdog found that both administrations were to blame for the disastrous withdrawal that saw Afghan forces overwhelmed.Related TopicsWar in Afghanistan (2001-2021)AfghanistanTalibanDonald TrumpUnited StatesJoe BidenMore on this storyWhite House blames chaotic Afghan pull-out on TrumpPublished6 April 2023Taliban are back – what next for Afghanistan?Published30 August 2021Ten days that shook AfghanistanPublished16 August 2021Top StoriesEntire Gaza population facing acute hunger – USPublished5 hours agoFirst convicted cyber-flasher jailed under new lawPublished5 hours agoHong Kong passes tough security law fought by protesters for yearsPublished7 hours agoFeaturesWhat is Hong Kong’s tough new security law?Trump needs a $464m bond in six days. 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![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaSan Quentin begins prison reform – but not for those on death rowPublished7 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Keith DoolinImage caption, Keith Doolin and his mother, Donna Larsen, are worried about his transfer to another California prisonBy Madeline HalpertBBC News, New YorkCalifornia is transferring everyone on death row at San Quentin prison to other places, as it tries to reinvent the state’s most notorious facility as a rehabilitation centre. Many in this group will now have new freedoms. But they are also asking why they’ve been excluded from the reform – and whether they’ll be safe in new prisons.Keith Doolin still remembers the day in 2019 when workers came to dismantle one of the United States’ most infamous death chambers. He was in his cell at San Quentin prison on the north side of San Francisco Bay, watching live footage on television showing an execution chair – where 194 people had been put to death – carried away after more than 80 years of use. The green gas chamber being taken apart was just several hundred feet from where he sat.A former long-distance truck driver convicted of murder, Doolin has spent nearly 23 hours a day for the last 28 years in a tiny cell. He long worried he would one day be shackled to a mint-green chair and executed.But in the last few years, California has been moving fast with some plans for prison reform. Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to deconstruct the death chamber – and also place a moratorium on the death penalty in the state – was a watershed moment for Doolin.”He [Newsom] was sending the message: ‘Look, it might take a while, but things are going to change’.”Mr Newsom is now seeking more changes at San Quentin, which currently has the nation’s largest death row. The governor announced last year that he planned to transform the state’s oldest prison into a rehabilitation centre. He will close the prison’s death row unit and move Doolin and the other 532 death row inhabitants to standard prisons across the state in the coming months (70 have been moved already). Doolin and his neighbours will still have death sentences – meaning they will spend the rest of their lives in prison. For some, the threat of execution still looms large, as a future governor could reinstate the state’s death penalty. Six people on death row who spoke to the BBC over the phone shared mixed feelings about their move. Some were elated by the opportunity to live closer to family and step outside their cells without handcuffs, while others were terrified at the prospect of starting over after decades living alone in a cell.Image source, Getty ImagesRats, birds and handcuffs: Life on death rowBuilt in 1852, San Quentin is California’s oldest prison and the state’s only facility for incarcerated males who have been sentenced to death. Since 1893, 422 people have been executed there, including by gas, hanging or lethal injection. Family members walk by the entrance to the prison’s execution chamber every time they visit their loved ones, said Doolin’s mother, Donna Larsen, who drives a nine-hour round trip once a month to visit her son.The execution chamber would emit a green light that turned red as a person was being executed, a sight visible to Californians driving by on the highway, she said. This green room of death – and infamous inmates such as cult leader Charles Manson – have brought international notoriety to San Quentin, featured in podcasts, television shows and films.When Ramon Rogers arrived at the prison in 1996, rain leaked through the ceiling of the death row unit, and mice and rats would run rampant. But the biggest pests, he said, were the birds. “They started defecating all over the place – all over the railings,” he said. “It was a gross environment.”Since then, life on death row has remained restrictive and, at times, hazardous. An outbreak of Covid-19 during the height of the pandemic killed at least 12 death row inmates – part of a wider coronavirus surge at the prison that infected 75% of the population.Ms Larsen – Doolin’s mother – said she was shocked by how dirty the prison was the first time she visited. “It had a stench to it,” she said. “Sometimes Keith’s clothing smells mouldy when we visit. To know that your loved one is living in that made me sick.”Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Those imprisoned in San Quentin’s death row spend nearly all of the day in their cellsPeople housed in San Quentin’s death row are kept alone for most of the day in a roughly four foot (1.2m) by nine foot (2.7m) cell, a space that Doolin said feels like a “sardine can”. The 51-year-old was sentenced to death in 1996 for killing two sex workers and shooting four others. Doolin has maintained his innocence, and a California attorney has alleged that he has information learned while working on another case that could potentially exonerate him. But the lawyer, David Mugridge, told the BBC that he could not share the details due to attorney-client privilege.Doolin and others living on death row are required to wear handcuffs at all times when outside their cells, which officers have to unlock with metal keys after strip-searching them. Image source, CDCRImage caption, A photo of one of the cells, provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation”Our daily life confinement is based on going from one box to another,” said another inmate, Tony, who declined to share his last name for privacy reasons.Death row inmates are offered little access to rehabilitative programmes except for some college courses and jobs such as cleaning showers.Ending death rowIn March 2019, Governor Newsom issued an executive order that halted the death penalty in the state and ordered the dismantling of the gas chamber in San Quentin. Mr Newsom’s move did not alter any incarcerated individuals’ sentences, though he said that he might later consider commuting death row sentences.While the state had not actually performed an execution since 2006, Mr Newsom argued the death penalty system had been “by all measures, a failure” that was unfairly applied to people of colour and people with mental illness. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, black people comprise 34% of California’s death row, but only 6% of the state’s population. Since 1973, seven people on death row in the state have been exonerated. Preparing for bigger changes, Mr Newsom announced a two-year pilot programme in 2020 to transfer around 100 volunteers from San Quentin’s death row to other prisons, the first move in his bigger plan to eventually move all the inmates out, to more than 20 other prisons that meet security requirements.Correll Thomas left San Quentin with the pilot programme in 2021 after being on death row since 1999.But at Centinela prison, in Imperial, California, settling in was a struggle. “They didn’t want to give us [rehabilitation] programs,” he said. “We had to pretty much fight for everything.”Image source, Correll ThomasImage caption, Correll Thomas was happy to have the chance to leave San Quentin death rowOther prisoners and staff appeared frightened of his death row status, said Thomas, who added that with time, some at the prison grew to accept him.Ramon Rogers, the inmate who first arrived at San Quentin in 1986 when birds and rats had overrun the facility, said the move was welcome. “I didn’t care where they sent me, I just knew anywhere else would be better,” he said.Now at the Richard Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, Rogers, 64, has been able to enrol not just in rehabilitation programmes but also college.The greatest relief, he said, came from not having to wear handcuffs around the clock outside his cell for the first time in decades.”Sometimes, I’m amazed at what I’m allowed to do here that I would never be able to do on death row.”Starting over But some advocates say not enough support is being offered as these inmates make a drastic transition. There is a “huge difference” between the people on death row who chose to leave and those being forced to move now, said Gavrilah Wells, a volunteer with human rights group Amnesty International. “I’m so worried about the safety and the human rights of so many people being involuntarily transferred,” she said. “The massive endeavour of rapidly moving 550 people to unknown prisons, with unknown cultures specific to each facility, raises serious concerns.”Ms Wells and other advocates say moving the death row population, which includes many who are sick and elderly, poses great challenges. The oldest person in San Quentin’s death row is 93. “It’s not the same as just transferring any person in prison,” said Natasha Minsker, a policy adviser for non-profit Smart Justice California. Advocates worry about those being moved far away from their lawyers and family members, and how they will adjust after decades living alone in a cell.”These guys have never lived with anyone but themselves,” Tony said. “They’re going to have to learn how to do things all over again.”Image source, Keith DoolinImage caption, Doolin is worried about starting over and avoiding conflict in a new prison with a new cultureDoolin is anxious about avoiding conflict as he interacts with more people than ever before, including prison guards. “It’s extremely stressful,” he said. “I’m forced to start all over again like my first day in prison.”Ms Larsen, Doolin’s mother, said she and others suggested programmes to offer support to their incarcerated loved ones as they made the transition, but the prison turned them down. ‘We still have humanity’For several death row inhabitants, the anxieties of a new environment are outweighed by the prospect of breaking free from a dismal life in San Quentin. “For some people, it’s a godsend,” Tony said. “They want to leave this oppression.” But for others, the departure from San Quentin before its estimated $360m (£282m) upgrade has only served as a reminder of their inferior status as condemned people. Mr Newsom has said the goal is to transform the prison into a college campus-like setting, modelled on Scandinavian correctional facilities that focus on rehabilitation.In response to a question from the BBC on how people on death row fit into the state’s larger plans for prison reform, Mr Newsom’s office said he was committed to “addressing failings in our criminal justice system – including the discriminatory nature of the death penalty system”. Mr Newsom’s office did not elaborate on why people on death row could not participate in the San Quentin project, but touted the closure of death row and his moratorium on the death penalty.The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said all the death row inmates had to be moved because San Quentin did not have the “required lethal electrified fence”. It did not respond when asked why that had been okay up to this point. It also did not respond to questions about support being offered to transfers.Darrell Lomax, one of the men in San Quentin, said: “It’s not what they’re doing. It’s the way they’re doing it… Why are we being moved so they can make room for a rehabilitation program that doesn’t even serve us?” The arrangement sends the “unfortunate” message that one of the biggest prison reform projects in the US can’t include people sentenced to death, Ms Minsker said. Tony believes some in California are still not ready to reckon with the status – and future – of those sentenced to death, even in a state that is not executing people.”There’s a notion that because we’re here, it’s the end of the road,” he said. “But we still have humanity in this place. 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