Our answer is more democracy, more openness to show that we will not be stopped by this kind of violence. At the same time we shouldn't be naive, we should understand that violence can attack our society - we've seen that today." - Norway Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg
Part 1 here.
New information continues to trickle in as time goes by so I though I would provide some updates Ive gathered from various sources.
The body count from the explosion outside the Prime Ministers offices has now reached at least 7 with many more injured.
(Photo from Telgraph.co.uk)
Norwegian police have confirmed the explosion in Oslo was a car bomb. There are also undetonated explosives around government buildings in Oslo.
Shortly after the bomb blast in Oslo a man (and maybe more?)dressed as a cop armed with automatic weapons, a rifle, and pistol made his way to a camping event on the island of Utoya organized by the governing Norwegian Labor party and Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. As many as 600+ youths mainly from 13-20 year old were in attendance when the fake policeman opened fire, killing at least 85 and there have been reports that the number could climb.
Campers fled into trees, caves and even the water desperately trying to get away. Many where shot in the water, and it is now confirmed that drownings did occur as I previously suspected. The water conditions, weight of clothing, distance, and panic/injuries made it near impossible, and it is amazing that so many survived, in part thanks to HEROES who disregarded their own safety and pulled struggling childred into their boats, making trip after trip to ferry victims to safety.
18 y.o Erik Kursetgjerd
I heard screams. I heard people begging for their lives and I heard shots. He just blew them away. I was certain I was going to die.
People ran everywhere. They panicked and climbed into trees. People got trampled.
The killer, dressed as a policeman, "would tell people to come over: 'It's OK, you're safe, we're coming to help you.' And then I saw about 20 people come towards him and he shot them at close range," said Kursetgjerde.
Dana Barzingi:
It was a bloodbath. There was nowhere to flee, only the water, and when people tried to swim away he just shot them.
He kept coming. He went around and around pretending to be a rescue worker and said people should come to get help. Then he shot them.
Thorbjørn Vereide, 22:
"We were 30-40 people standing together when he started shooting. When he was done [with us] there were only five or six left of us."
The suspect has been identified as Anders Behring Breivik, a self proclaimed 'nationalist' conservative christian. Using his farming business Breivek was able to purchase 6 tons of fertilizer used to make the bombs.
From victim reports, and now the police, it is possible there was a second shooter. I do not find this hard to believe, as multiple explosives, vehicles, etc. have been used, not too easy to pull off without help.
I have a message to the person who attacked us and the people who are behind it: You're not going to destroy us. You're not destroying our democracy and our work for a better world. We're a small country but a very proud country. No one can bomb us to be quiet. No one can shoot us to be quiet no one can ever scare us from being Norway." -Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg
11:28 AM PT: Truly disturbing article full of details.
"It was about 5pm. We had heard about the bomb in Oslo and had been gathering to discuss it, because of course some people had families in Oslo and were worried," said Adrian Pracon, one of the camp organisers. "This man came along and said he was from the police and told us he would help us and make sure that everyone was okay but that man, dressed as a policeman, was the shooter.
"He had a machine gun, but it wasn't set to automatic fire, it was on single shot. He wasn't shooting like crazy or to make panic, he was shooting to kill people, with single bullets." Pracon said Breivik was "very cool and calm" but looked like someone from a "Nazi movie".
"He saw someone run into their tent and he just slowly went to the tent, opening it and shot the people in the tent. He had been very prepared for this. He said he would kill us all and everyone shall die."
I truly believe he did not know there was so many people on the island, or thought he could kill them all, and then have it blamed on Muslims to create an 'overreaction'. Just an opinion.