The death toll of 86 has been lowered to 76 as, July 25, Anders Behring Breivik enters court for the first time in the terrorist bombing and youth camp shooting massacre in Oslo--the gunman confesses to the shooting and bomb attacks but denies criminal responsibility. He says he was saving Norway from Muslims. His father wants him dead.
Breivik is now held and protected in isolation--for at least four of the next 8 weeks in custody. Breivik says his slaughter is not the last: the murderer says his terror network has two more cells. Norway investigators discovered a 1500-page manifesto by Breivik July 23.
The Oslo, Norway, death toll has been lowered to 76 from estimates of 86 or more people killed in the twin attacks of a bombing and shooting spree. Oslo police say the discrepancy and lowered death toll could be because some bodies were accidentally counted twice -- as Norway officials scrambled to get reports out to the media. Police say bodies were spread all over the island, with some of the dead hidden underneath others that were killed. Norway officials say they were forced to go public with a death toll estimate because youth camp survivors began actively posting online, and it was necessary for the slaughter to become public in response.
In a severe misrepresentation of fatalities, police had originally estimated that 10 were dead from the shootings by the Oslo youth camp gunman. That number was later boosted to 80. Now it remains at an estimate of 76 dead, between the bombing and youth camp casualties -- approximately 68 estimated to have died at the youth camp itself.
It's the worst carnage Norway has seen since World War II: The man accused of responsibility has pleaded not guilty in the case against him -- due to claims he was actually saving Norway from Muslimg. The terrorist says his plan or intent in gunning down dozens of teenagers was to save Norway and Europe from a Muslim takeover. The slaughter that left nearly a hundred people dead is being dubbed a "strong signal" by Breivik. In a closed court hearing, the terrorist says he was not trying to kill as many people as possible.
On July 23 and after the killings, an online manifesto dedicated to Breivik was discovered by investigators. Because Norway officials fear Breivik could tamper with evidence if released from jail and custody, he's slated to spend another two months behind bars -- blocked from any access to visitors, mail or media per judge's orders.
In an internet manifesto, the accused murderer made clear his plan to turn legal or court appearances into a form of theater. Unbelievably, Breivik had already prepared a speech for his court appearance -- even before launching the deadly attacks. The terrorist requested an open hearing so he could wear a uniform. The speech and uniform requests were denied by the Norway court.
Breivik calls the fatal bombing and mass slaughter at the Oslo youth camp “marketing” for his manifesto that calls for a revolution to rid Europe of Muslims. July 25 was his first court appearance, with throngs of angry public citizens. To block Breivik's 'stage' a judge ordered the hearing closed -- in a court appearance that lasted just 35 minutes.
Anders Behring Breivik claims liberals have been championing multiculturalism over Norway’s “indigenous” culture.
In a bizarre turn of events, Anders Behring Breivik's court time was closed before it began: While the country's media usually plays part, providing arguments for court proceedings to remain open, the judge closed proceedings before anything began -- to block Breivik from receiving the spectators in Norway he's been seeking.
Norway police still have not released the names of the dead. Norway’s royal court announced July 25 that Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s stepbrother is among those killed at the youth island retreat: Trond Berntsen -- son of Mette-Marit’s stepfather who died in 2008 -- was an off-duty police officer who was working at the youth camp as a security guard when Breivik attacked.
In a strange turn of events, Anders Behring Breivik has not only said he's ashamed and disgusted by his son’s acts -- but has told Norway media he wishes his own son had committed suicide. The terrorist's father is actually a former diplomat.
Jens David Breivik, father of Anders Behring Breivik, says: “How could he just stand there and kill so many innocent people and just seem to think that what he did was OK? He should have taken his own life too. That’s what he should have done.”
Of the attacks, Jens David Breivik issued statement: “I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was totally paralyzing and I couldn’t really understand it. I will have to live with this shame for the rest of my life. People will always link me with him." As his offspring, yes, people will probably make that link. But it seems father and son have been on the 'outs' for quite awhile. According to Jens David Breivik, he severed all contact with son Anders in 1995 -- at the time when Anders Behring Breivik was just 16.
In a sick turn of events, witnesses who actually survived the youth camp shooting on Utoya island say a gunman dressed in a police uniform had urged people to get closer and closer -- before opening rapid gun fire in an bloody massacre that lasted almost two hours. Panicked teenagers and adults flung themselves into the water, in escapes to avoid flying bullets.
Just one and a half hours before, a car bomb had exploded in the government district in central Oslo -- immediately killing as least seven people, and later confirmed as linked to the same gunman who had slaughtered dozens of young people at the youth camp.
Perhaps equally bizarre as the massacre plan laid out by Breivik is the length and nature of his extreme nationalist philosophy, and outlined attack methods, listed in details that comprise a 1,500-page manifesto document. That Breivik manifesto describes how the gunman bought armor, guns, fertilizer and bomb components. The document also specifies how the assailant stashed caches of weapons and even wiped away evidence, supposedly, off his computer hard drive. And the Norway man did it all while simultaneously evading any suspicion cast from police, and while being nice to his neighbors.
Components from the Breivik bomb that killed at least seven in Norway aren't all from the region: On July 25, Polish security officials have admitted the killer bought some of the integral pieces for his bomb-making device -- reportedly including synthetic fertilizer -- in their country. Poland has noted that the online purchases used in the bomb Breivik created were legal. Deputy head of the Internal Security Agency Pawel Bialek says the chemicals can be bought any place in Europe.
Even the bullets were a specialty: Those that faced Breivik's machine gun didn't stand a chance against specially-designed “dum-dum”-style bullets that disintegrated inside the victims' bodies, to specifically cause maximum internal damage for those shot. The “dum-dum" bullets can be shot from a longer range with greater accuracy due to light weight, greatlly responsible for the carnage at the camp. Of 16 gunshot victims caught in the Oslo youth camp massacre, Norway surgeons have recovered not one entire bullet. The Oslo surgery center says the bullets basically exploded inside the body of victims.
Ironically, Oslo police or law enforcement could have stopped the attack before it began -- but Norway officials say fake police credentials provided at a security checkpoint, by Breivik, were so convincing that officials were fooled into Breivik's legitimacy in visiting the island and youth camp.