Claudine Keane has revealed that she had a close encounter with gun violence while living in Los Angeles.
The model described how she was forced to hide in the backroom of a store when she was caught in a fatal shooting.
“I was on Rodeo Drive and I was going in to buy my mam a gift. Next thing I hear three or four people screaming and a guy saying ‘lock the door, lock the door,’” she told The Sun.
“I ran straight for the stockroom. There were bangs and then I could hear a siren. Someone had been shot in a hotel two doors down on Rodeo Drive.”
“It was very scary, we weren’t allowed to leave for an hour. We couldn’t go until everything had been cleared.
The model, who is married to footballer Robbie Keane, has one son, Robert, who experienced a school shooting drill while enrolled in education in the US.
“When he came home and told me what they had to do in the drill it is quite heartbreaking to think they have to learn that,” she told the publication.
“An alarm would go off in the school and they would all meet in a communal area and it would be locked. It’s kind of crazy to even think about that and I think for kids it’s hard to comprehend.”
Despite the negative realities of the US’s gun culture experienced by the family, Claudine revealed that she does miss the west coast of America, and would consider living there again.
“There’s elements I miss like the sunshine, guaranteed that you can do stuff outdoors, not having to plan too far ahead, you can go to the beach on a Saturday, a very active lifestyle.”
“I do still think of it as a second home, somewhere I can see myself going back to or splitting my time between,” she said.
The family lived in California for several years while Robbie played with LA Galaxy Football Club. Claudine is currently based in Dublin.
On episode 31 of The Gosscast, Goss.ie Founder Ali Ryan sits down with RTE star Stephen Byrne.
From reporting from the red carpet at the Oscars to interviewing stars like Oprah, Stephen talks through the highs and lows of his career so far.
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