I posted this on another forum but figured I’d post it here too

Around 15:20 (3:20pm) a bomb went off outside the government headquarters in Oslo, 7 people are confirmed killed. Then, around an hour later, there were reports of shooting at an island some distance away from the capitol where the youth “wing” of the Norwegian labour party (the party that is the head of our current coalition government) are holding a summer camp.

First everyone suspected foreign terrorism, specially from radical islam. One group even claimed responsibility I think. However, later a Norwegian national was arrested for the shootings at the island, and they think he bombed Oslo as well. The guy has ties to right wing extremists.

There were about 500 people on that island, I think (from 14 to 25 years old). And at first they said around 10 were confirmed dead, but just now they have revised it to at least 80.

This is insane! When I first heard about it I called my dad (my parents are in Oslo) and he said my mom was still down town as he left for home early. I then called my mom and she didn’t answer, luckily she picked up when I called back a bit later. She was on a bus just outside of Oslo and said she could hear the blast from where she was. The explosion must have been quite powerful (here’s a video from the
aftermath of the explosion, and this isn’t the worst video I’ve seen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkFYUP3aKbU)

Some of the witness accounts from the island are horrific! There are 20 year olds talking about seeing their friends shot in front of their eyes. Having to lie low and hide in the woods, then hearing him coming towards them and having to run. The gunman was dressed as a police officer and said he had come to the island to talk to the kids about what had happened in Oslo, and as they gathered around him he shot them. This one girl was hiding near the water with some of her friends when the guy came and said he was from the police.. Her friends walked towards him, but she was a bit slower than them and she saw them all get shot (she said about 10 of them). She dove into the water while the gunman was trying to shoot her as well. Then she swam for her life. She was in the water for well over an hour (it’s cold, even though it’s summer) until a boat finally picked her up. She thought she was going to drown. A lot of the kids tried to swim for the mainland as everyone on the island were being slaughtered. Some made it, some probably died on the way over.

As far as I know, none of my close friends were on that island. But I live and study in a city with a lot of students and many of them are very politically engaged. I just hope I won’t find out about anyone I know being killed.

Thanks for posting. I read it i in CNN. It is just a terrible news. I still don’t understand how someone can shoot 80 people and nobody could take him down.

my deepest consolidation for all victims of this terrible attack

anoopbal - 23 July 2011 05:03 AM

Thanks for posting. I read it i in CNN. It is just a terrible news. I still don’t understand how someone can shoot 80 people and nobody could take him down.

Police patrols in Norway don’t carry guns, and I don’t think there were any police on the island at all. this island was a bit away from anything really, so it took some time for armed police to get there. Also, the guy had like a gun, a shotgun, a rifle and an automated weapon or something (we don’t really know, but he was well equipped).

Some of the witnesses from the island are now saying that there had to have been two gunmen. If that’s true, one of them is still at large.

It seems like what you said maybe true. From CNN, ““We’re not sure it’s just one person… based on statements from witnesses, we think there may be more,” Acting National Police Chief Sveinung Sponheim said Saturday.
“.

And the suspect says “these killings were necessary”!

Yeah, he’s a right wing extremist and he wanted to impact the recruitment to the Norwegian labour party, he hates marxism. He published a 1500 manifesto online detailing his plans. He started planning already in 2002.. about 80 days before the bombing he started writing a daily journal detailing how he avoided people who wanted to come visit him at his farm (he bought a farm and moved there, probably just to have a cover to buy 6 tonnes of fertilizer).

Apparently, the bombing in Oslo was just a cover for him to be able to dress as an armed policeman and get to the island without anyone becoming suspicious. At the island he said he was from the police and there to talk about the attacks in Oslo, then he started shooting. This is a very intelligent, calculating, cold and evil man.

Terrible tragedy, all in the name of politics and religion. When will people understand that you can not hate or scare people into your way of thinking. The loss of the kids hurts the most.