SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — It's been nearly 40 years since a mass shooting in a San Ysidro McDonald's left more than 20 people dead and 40 more wounded. The 2016 documentary "77 Minutes" explores this tragedy and will return to theaters next week.
Director Charlie Minn says it's important to examine this tragedy because it's one of the first modern-day mass shootings in American history.
The shooting happened on July 18, 1984, when a racially motivated mass shooter opened fire at the restaurant. The movie features survivors, family members and others impacted by this shooting.
That includes Alberto Leos, who survived five gunshot wounds. At the time, he was a teenager.
"Any one of those bullets could have penetrated a main artery or gotten my spine when I was shot in my lower back. I could have been paralyzed," said Leos. "Just so many things, and I was able to pull through with God's help. I really believe he kept me here for a reason."
Leos became a Captain with the San Diego Police Department, where he currently serves.
Minn named the movie 77 Minutes because that's how long it took police to respond before killing the mass shooter—a lesson Minn wants us to learn four decades later.
"We have to do something about that. In 40 years, we haven't learned anything. Mass shootings are still going on, more now than ever before," said Minn. "Police response is horrendous, look at Uvalde. 77 minutes, just like San Ysidro. We had a victim inside that McDonald's that day that was shot 45 minutes apart."
77 Minutes will play at the Reading Cinema Town Square on Clairemont Drive from July 18 to July 25.
