The legendary thrash metal band Metallica’s bassist Robert Trujillo has revealed that he once hid from a Manson Family shootout in a local army surplus store. Recalling the harrowing incident, Trujillo said it was “really eerie.”
The bassist, 59, appeared on the popular punk rock band The Offspring’s podcast ‘Time to Relax with The Offspring’ where he narrated this incident.
The Suicidal Tendencies’ former bassist explained that the event took place shortly after Charles Manson was arrested and he, two of his cousins and his father happened to be staying at his grandparents’ apartment in Hawthorne at the time.
Trujillo recalling the incident said that he hid in his grandmother’s shower as 30 police officers engaged in a shootout with four of the notorious serial killer Charles Manson’s followers.
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“I am in Hawthorne, California. I’m staying at my grandma’s house… The gun shop, the army surplus shop around the corner on Hawthorne Boulevard, was robbed. And basically, the Manson family had this grand scheme. You can check it out on the internet.
“They were gonna rob the gun store and get their ammo and everything, and they were gonna go to the Los Angeles International Airport, and the plan was hijack a 747 and demand that Charlie gets sent to them, and they’re gonna take this plane to God knows where.”
Trujillo continued: “Obviously, the plan didn’t work. The cops showed up. There’s a shootout. We’re hearing gunshots, the whole deal. All of a sudden you get the ghetto birds (police helicopters), and they’re flying around.
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“They’re talking through their kind of intercom, whatever they got going up there: ‘Everybody, take cover’ … And so my dad turns off all the lights. We’re hiding in the shower. And it was really eerie.”
“My dad at one point opened the door to see what was going on — ‘Get the f*** back in the house now,’” he added, mimicking his father’s intense tone.
Trujillo appeared on the podcast as Metallica is in the midst of their massive M72 World Tour in support of their 11th studio album ‘72 Seasons’ which dropped in April. The Grammy-winning metal legends are currently completing their shows in the US after which they will head off to Europe in 2024.
