Nine years ago today, on May 1, 2011, Osama bin Laden was shot and killed in Pakistan after U.S. Navy SEALs from SEAL Team Six conducted a raid on his compound in Operation Neptune Spear.
On this night in 2011, President Obama surprises the world with the announcement that U.S. forces have killed Osama bin Laden. pic.twitter.com/3ACgG030R2
— Military History Now (@MilHistNow) May 1, 2020
Bin Laden was the founder and first leader of the terrorist group al Qaeda, which carried out the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
RIGHT NOW in 2011, U.S. Navy SEALS storm an Al Qaeda compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan and kill Osama bin Laden. pic.twitter.com/AIEXuPFVV5
— Military History Now (@MilHistNow) May 1, 2018
He was killed May 2, 2011 in local Pakistan time. For Americans in the United States, the date was May 1 when this took place due to time zone differences.
On 5/1/11, I remember watching the celebrations in @TimesSquareNYC with great pride after hearing that our military upheld the promise to hold the man responsible for 9/11 accountable. Never thought I’d be able to thank #TheOperator in person. Was honored to meet @mchooyah in ‘16 pic.twitter.com/h5JmVLHXGD
— Chief Travis Walker (@CCPDWALKER) May 1, 2018
Rob O’Neill, the Navy SEAL who says he was the one who fired the shots that killed bin Laden during the raid on his Abbottabad compound, has posted to Twitter in the past about the anniversary. He also appeared on Fox & Friends in 2018 to speak about that day.
“How did a kid from Montana who would barely swim become a Navy SEAL and end up right here at this moment,” O’Neill said, recalling watching announcements of bin Laden’s death on TV while the terrorist leader’s dead body was at his feet.
“It was such an awesome night,” he continued. “It was such an honor […] to be a part of that incredible team.”
O’Neill described some of the events of that night, including the moment he came face-to-face with bin Laden.
“I turn a corner after pretty much the bravest act of heroism I’ve ever seen, when the point man jumped on the suicide bombers – I turned to the right based on the way he went, and there was bin Laden standing there about three feet away,” he said.
“We thought we were going to die,” O’Neill later added.
“We thought we were going to die” -Navy SEAL who killed Bin Laden, @mchooyah, remembers the ‘honor’ of being part of the team that killed the terrorist 7 years ago today pic.twitter.com/Mac6UFa23N
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) May 1, 2018
The nation erupted over the news in 2011.
Seven years ago on this date: SEAL Team Six took care of Osama Bin Laden, the president told the country, and the only major sporting event going on at the time, Phillies-Mets on Sunday Night Baseball, responded in kind. https://t.co/0UIdliyCRf
— Ryan Lawrence (@ryanlawrence21) May 1, 2018
5/1/2011 In a 1-1 game in the top of the ninth, the Citizens Bank Park crowd starts chanting “USA, USA” when news breaks of Osama Bin Laden’s death. The Mets would win the game 2-1 in the 14th. pic.twitter.com/TUpPnagbgH
— This Day in Mets History (@NYMhistory) May 1, 2020
This is the announcement then-President Barack Obama made to the world on May 1, 2011:
