WASHINGTON - Former U.S. Senator and Defense Secretary William Cohen was inside the Holocaust Memorial Museum during Wednesday's shootout and has unique insight into the hatred behind the afternoon's gunfire.

Cohen told ABC 7/NewsChannel 8's Jay Korff he was only about 30 to 40 feet from the gunman when shots rang out. He was there preparing for his wife's play which was scheduled to premier Wednesday night at the museum.

In the horrifying moments when gunfire erupted inside the Holocaust Memorial Museum, Cohen was only steps away from the armed suspect, 88-year-old James Von Brunn.

"I heard about four or five shots ring out in very quick succession and I knew they were gunshots and we ducked,' said Cohen.

Cohen hit the ground and fled to safety. His wife, Janet Langhart Cohen, was en route to the museum at the time of the shooting.

"And that place, that beautiful place the museum is desecrated now with this sad murder of this young security officer whom I would see every day that I would come in for rehearsals," said Langhart Cohen.

Langhart Cohen says she wrote "Anne and Emmett" to expose and hopefully eradicate hatred. The play is a narrative about an imaginary conversation between teenagers Anne Frank and Emmett Till.

Frank died during the Holocaust while Till was lynched for flirting with a white woman.

The alleged gunman wrote extensively about his hatred of Jews and blacks. The irony of the moment is not lost on the Cohens.

"And today was a signal, a sign that we have more action coming. We have to do more," said Langhart Cohen.

William Cohen, whose father was Jewish, co-chaired the Genocide Prevention Task Force. Langhart Cohen, an African-American, has written extensively about racism.

Their life's work couldn't be further from the rantings of a racist. Yet on this day, their paths crossed in a place built to never forget the unforgivable sin of indifference.

"That element is still out there and what we have to do in society is say we can't tolerate that. When we see sickness like that we have to shine a light on it and expose it," said Cohen.

Langhart Cohen says her play at the museum has been cancelled until further notice. The next showing will be Friday night at George Washington University.

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