Breivik, the man arrested and confessed killer of 77 people, mostly teenagers, in Olso and on Utoya Island last July entered a plea of "Not Guilty" in court.
Breivik, on July 22nd of last year set off explosive devices at government buildings in Oslo. The bombing took the lives of eight people there and injuring an additional 209 more.. Breivik fashioned a car bomb with fertilizer and fuel oil, and placed it in a Volkswagen Crafter and parked the vehicle in front of the office of Prime Minister Jenss Stoltenberg. He exited the vehicle dressed as a police officer wearing a face shield and climbed into another vehicle. Moments later, the bomb exploded.
Within two hours, Breivik went to the island of Utoya, the location of a Labor Party youth camp. He boarded the ferry to the island, still posing as an Oslo police officer. He used his official disguise again when he got the island, introducing himself as Martin Nilson. He told the camp hostess there that he was doing a routine check because of the bombings in Oslo. Minutes later, Breivik killed the hostess and the security guard. But, he wasn’t done yet.
After killing the hostess and guard, Breivik gathered members of the camp around him. Once he had them grouped, he pulled out weapons and ammunition and began killing the camp attendees, who were mostly teenagers. As they scrambled to get away, he followed and shot them, picking off children frantically fleeing into the water to escape him.
Breivik continued in his slaughter of the children in the camp for an hour and a half, repeatedly shouting, “You are all going to die today, Marxists!”
Alerted of the shooting on the island, people began picking people up from out of the water and taking them to the mainland. 150 people were pulled from the water and taken to safety.
Police arrived at the shore opposite the island about a half an hour after the first shots, but were unable to get to the island. The ferry had rerouted because of the attack and police had to call for a boat to be brought to the lake to gain access to the island. When officers finally arrived at the island,Breivik calmly gave up to officials. He had called the emergency number twice during his rampage and surrendered over the phone, but continued killing after hanging up.
In court today, a smiling Breivik, dressed in a black suit, flashed a closed fist salute after guards removed his handcuffs, Tthen shook hands with the prosecutors and court officials. Shortly after, Breivik told the judge,I don’t recognize Norwegian courts because you get your mandate from the Norwegian political parties who support multiculturalism” He continued, saying, “I acknowledge the acts but I do not plead guilty and I claim that I was doing it in self defence.”
Breivik, a right wing Christian extremist, was charged last month with committing acts of terror and voluntary homicide. If convicted, he cannot be given more than 21 years in prison under Norways laws, the 33 year-old Breivik can be out of prison by te age of 54.