He saved hundreds of lives in the terror attack: 15-year-old Islam's statements

12PUNTO FOREIGN NEWS

A teenager who led more than 100 people to safety during the terror attack on a concert hall in Moscow on Friday has been declared a hero. It has been reported that 15-year-old Islam Khalilov, who worked part-time at one of the cloakrooms at Crocus City, will be awarded a medal for his 'courage and heroism.'

Speaking to the Ruptly video agency, Khalilov said he 'realized an emergency was occurring when people started running toward the escalators.' Khalilov stated that he acted on 'instinct' at that moment and used his extensive knowledge of the facility to quickly organize the evacuation of visitors toward another building within the Crocus City complex.

Khalilov described the events by saying, “I started shouting all over the foyer, all over Crocus City Hall - 'Guys, there is an armed attack! Everyone run to the expo!'... and I was showing them where to go and helping everyone.”

Khalilov added, “There was a stampede, and at first everyone was in shock. No one knew what to do or where to go.”

15-year-old Islam also said he saw one of the terrorists.

The teenager described, “I saw one of them; he had a beard and was wearing green clothes, and he was walking around with an assault rifle in his hand.”

Khalilov stated that he also ran behind the entire group to ensure he did not leave anyone behind.

He also noted that he saw a man being 'fatally' shot by one of the attackers, expressing that he 'could not stop thinking about it.'

The 15-year-old said he does not see himself as a hero and that he was just doing his job.

Explaining what helped him overcome his fear, Khalilov said, “It is better to sacrifice yourself than to let a hundred people die.”

After Khalilov's success was featured in many Russian media outlets, FC Spartak Moscow, the team he supports, granted Islam the right to attend matches for free.

Popular Russian rap artist Morgenstern said he donated 1,000,000 rubles ($11,000) to the teenager; Khalilov confirmed this to the media.

Additionally, the leader of Russia's Muslims, Mufti Ravil Gainutdin, announced that Khalilov would receive a medal for his courage.

News Source: 12punto