‘I looked back and saw Anders Breivik take aim at me and realised this is the end’: Survivor of Norwegian massacre describes leaping into icy lake to save himself and two boys during neo-Nazi’s gun rampage
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On the afternoon of July 22, 2011, Anders Behring Breivik carried out the worst terror attack in Norway’s history, detonating a bomb in Oslo before gunning down scores of civilians at a youth event nearby. The victims were young as 14.
It was a quiet Friday in the capital when Breivik began his rampage, allegedly in desperate bid to publicise his 1,500-page far-right manifesto.
The attack had been nine years in the making. At 3.25pm, a bomb exploded outside the prime minister’s office. Eight people died in the explosion as Breivik headed for a small island where he killed a further 69, mostly teenagers.
Hundreds of young people, including Bjørn Ihler, now 33, had travelled to Utøya in Tyrifjorden lake for the annual AUF summer camp, an event organised by the ruling centre-Left Labour party.
Armed with semi-automatic rifle and a Glock pistol, Breivik arrived disguised as a policeman, claiming to be checking in after the blast across the water.
Chaos broke out as Breivik began moving around the island, coldly shooting his victims as they pretended to be dead.
With nowhere to hide and no way off the island, panic erupted as Breivik stalked his targets, reportedly shouting: ‘You are going to die today, Marxists.’
Among the survivors was Norwegian activist Bjørn, who was on holiday in Norway as a student at the time. Thirteen years on from the attacks, he bravely recounted his lucky escape as he sheltered two young children in an icy lake as they desperately held out for the police to arrive.
Bjørn – now peace activist and expert on countering violent extremism – was around 21 years old and on holiday in Norway at the time, taking a break from his first year of university studying film production in Liverpool.
His father had suggested the camp as a way to connect with people. It was a popular event, with some 500 to 700 attendees from all across the country.
Bjørn had decided to skip work on the Friday to visit the island and watch as guest speakers rallied crowds and held workshops. Children as young as 14 were attending to socialise, camp and engage in political debate.
But in an instant, everything changed. Bjørn told XXX that news of the car bomb in Oslo reached the island soon after. They were told the island was the safest place to stay.
‘Then we started hearing loud popping sounds,’ he said. ‘The first assumption was someone’s firing off fireworks who haven’t realised what’s going on in Oslo.
Content retrieved from: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14055137/I-looked-saw-Anders-Breivik-aim-realised-end-Survivor-Norwegian-massacre-describes-leaping-icy-lake-save-two-boys-neo-Nazis-gun-rampage.html.
