#Westgate fuels fears of backlash against Somali-American community

As details about the deadly attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi continue to emerge, many online have begun to worry about a potential backlash against Somali-Americans. The group responsible for the violence, al-Shabab, is know to have recruited Americans in previous years and stated that three of the attackers at Westgate were US citizens, although that cannot be independently confirmed.

As the crisis unfolded, some Somali-Americans on Twitter expressed worry that their community would be subject to heightened scrutiny.