American Killed in Nairobi Attack Was 9/11 Survivor

An American who survived the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks in New York City was among the victims of a terror attack in Kenya this week.

Jason Spindler and at least 20 others were killed when a group of terrorists stormed a hotel and shopping center complex Tuesday in Kenya's capital of Nairobi.

Spindler, who would have turned 41 on Monday, was the co-founder and managing director of a San Francisco-based company that worked with international clients to form business partnerships in several countries. On the day of the Sept. 11 attacks, he was running late for his financial job at the World Trade Center when he emerged from the subway and the first tower fell.

Covered in dust and debris, Spindler then tried to help others flee the carnage.

"It is with a heavy heart that I have to report that my brother Jason Spindler passed away this morning during a terror attack in Nairobi, Kenya," Spindler's brother Jonathan wrote on Facebook. "Jason was a survivor of 9/11 and a fighter. I am sure he gave them hell!"

Spindler's father Joseph spoke to the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday about the loss of his son.

"If you looked at him and talked to him, you'd say, 'This guy is destined to change the world,'" Joseph Spindler told the Chronicle. "And he did."

Spindler worked as an investment banker for several years before spending a year in Peru as part of the Peace Corps. After serving as a business and economic development volunteer in Peru, he founded I-DEV International in 2007 to help local economies across the world.

Material from the Associated Press and Reuters was used in this report.

• AP Explains: Who Are Al-Shabab Attackers of Kenya Hotel?
• A Look at Large-scale Extremist Attacks in Kenya