Sportscaster Who Witnessed L.A. Shooting Recalls Heartbreaking Moment He Called His Wife to Say Goodbye: ‘I Thought I Was Going to Die’

Fox Sports national columnist Bill Reiter said he thought he was going to die during Friday's shooting at Los Angeles International Airport, and even called his wife and children to "say goodbye."

Reiter called into Fox News, saying he was at the airport for an early morning flight when all of the sudden he heard "screaming and people running toward me ... followed by what was clearly gunshots."

He said people started crying and diving under benches, and he did the same, though "it was a pretty futile attempt."

Reiter was able to live-tweet throughout much of the chaos:

[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/foxsportsreiter/status/396320105178484737"]

While under the bench Reiter said he called his wife to say he loved her, and to pass on the same message to his children.

"The fact is ... that in those moments when I was under that bench - I'm sure this was true for everyone - I thought I was going to die," he told Fox's Shephard Smith. "It felt like a very Columbine-like moment. It's why I called my wife to say goodbye."

[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/foxsportsreiter/status/396320530359255040"]

Eventually -- Reiter couldn't put a time on it, saying things seemed to slow down and speed up at the same time -- "hundreds" escaped the terminal and onto the tarmac.

"It's the safest place I've ever felt in my entire life," he described it, despite the active airplanes in every direction.

Reiter added that the scene was "pretty chaotic," and "people were pushing each other."  Some were able to control themselves and not push past children, he said, and others weren't.

Listen to the interview courtesy of Fox News:

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