A graphic documentary about the 1984 massacre at a San Ysidro McDonald’s will premier this week in the South Bay.
The documentary “77 Minutes” was produced and directed by Charlie Minn. It takes viewers inside the McDonald’s on July 18, 1984 with candid video and interviews with the people who survived the shooting.
“I kind of moved away and moved on,” said Alpine resident Josh Coleman, who was an 11-year-old National City resident at McDonald’s with his friends that day.
“I was with two other boys: Omar Hernandez and David Flores. They both died there with me,” he recalled.
Coleman is one of the survivors featured in “77 Minutes”, which opens Thursday at The Front in San Ysidro and Friday at Ultrastar Mission Valley.
“People want to know, so it’s like I feel like I should tell them my story,” said Coleman. “I feel it had quite a bit of information I didn’t know and hearing from the sharp shooter who shot him was pretty neat.”
Minn said the documentary purposely does not reference the shooter by name on purpose. He doesn’t want to recognize criminals. Minn wanted to tell the stories of the people who were in San Ysidro in 1984.
Coleman was shot but avoided any more gunshot wounds by pretending to be dead. He lay down on the concrete for more than an hour.
“Definitely made me a stronger person,” said Coleman.
