“Only when we came out as I understood that people had died”

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Sara, 31, barricaded together with her class in one of the classrooms at Campus Risbergska.

She says that it was almost nice that the fire alarm thundered.

Because it removed the sound from the shots.

– It wasn’t until we came out that I understood that people had died. There was blood everywhere.

Sara says that the emotions go in waves all the time after the mass murder just over a day ago.

She started at Risebergska school in Örebro in January to study two grades: Swedish and social science.

The teacher locked the door

Around two weeks later, Tuesday, February 4, she would have a lesson at 12.30 in Swedish.

– I had just been able to sit down, our teacher had lit the lights and got ready for the lesson when we suddenly heard what sounded like a shot.

The door to their classroom was still open then.

– Our teacher rushed to the door, closed and locked it.

None of the students really understood what was happening. Was it really shot they had just heard?

Saw students run in panic

But then there were more bangs. And they saw through the window on the classroom door that students ran in panic outside.

Together they helped to barricaded the door and covered for all windows.

At the same time, the shooting salves continued outside. Sara sat down in one of the corners of the rooms with another student. The others sat scattered a bit everywhere under the table on the floor.

– But it was so strange for a sudden calm then found himself with me. I thought that if I can be calm, then I can calm the others and thus make sure everyone is safe.

“My hands shook so much”

Sara was also the one in the class who took on alert 112.

– My hands shook so much that I could barely hit the number. And the honed busy several times. It was such panic.

When Sara finally arrived at SOS, they said they knew what was going on and that help was on their way.

At the same time, the fire alarm had started. Sara says it removed the sound of the shots.

– It was almost nice in some strange way. It was when it was quiet that it was most unpleasant.

“Didn’t know if we were to die”

Sara kept in touch with her sister while they were locked up.

– I didn’t know if we would die, if he would come in to us. I wrote that I was terrified of dying and that I loved her.

For over two hours they sat in the classroom with the howling sound from the alarm.

– When someone then pulled in the door and said it was the police, we did not dare to open the door. We had Breivik in our heads and thought that the person or those who shot may not be real police officers.

The teacher called the police and had to confirm that there were real police officers, only then did they dare open.

Together, the students had to go out in line with their hands on each other’s shoulders.

– The police said that there will be a lot of blood out there and that we would turn a blind eye.

“Looked like a war zone”

But then someone in the lead was looking, panic and let go of the shoulders.

Then Sara also looked. Only then did she realize that people had actually died.

– It was a war zone. It was a lot of blood. Then I looked down again. I couldn’t see any more.

Once outside, Sara’s sister stood waiting anxiously.

– She had been waiting for hours. We just hugged and cried.

Sara says it is difficult to understand that she has been involved in Sweden’s worst mass murder.

– I never think I will understand it. It is unreal.