So far, what is known is that yesterday at 3:26 Oslo time a car bomb exploded outside of the Prime Minister's office, leaving at least 7 dead and dozens injured. A little over an hour later, there are reports of gunfire from a political youth camp on the island of Utoy, where a Norwegian counter-terrorism team was dispatched. Over the next hour or so the gunman proceeded to shoot and kill at least 84 people on the island. As the day went on, information began to come out that the gunman may also have been seen at the location of the bombing earlier in the day.
Last night and today teams have begun to search the wreckage of the bomb blast area, looking for trapped survivors and further casualties. So far it is still somewhat unclear what the motive behind these two heinous acts may have been, though a number of speculations have been offered by different sources.
Sons of Norway is focusing on those who have been affected by these tragic events and how best to help in Norway's healing process as it recovers from the largest loss of life in a single day since world war II. It's not just the staff of Sons of Norway, either; it's the members, too. Those of us at the Headquarters have been receiving numerous calls from members asking for confirmed information and wanting to know what they can do to help.
It really makes me emotional to see this kind of outpouring of love and support for a country that is thousands of miles away across land and sea. I think it's a real testament to the commitment that Sons of Norway members have to our mission and to our namesake nation.
In addition to calls from members we've also been receiving a number of calls from media to provide commentary on how this story is being received by, or affecting, the Norwegian American community. In fact, the media has been reaching out to members and lodges throughout the U.S. and Canada. For those who are interested, I'm providing a list below, which will be updated as I get more information.
- WCCO (MPLS) talked about Sons of Norway and interviewed our CEO Eivind Heiberg,
- Duluth News Tribune spoke with members involved with the upcoming Royal visit.
- Montreal Gazette spoke to our Edmonton lodge
- Milwaukee members react to the tragedy
- Sonoma gets local reaction from members and leaders
- Santa Barbara lodge president speaks with Fox News affiliate
- Baltimore members spoke with their ABC affiliate
- Arizona District 6 officer spoke with local affiliates.
Also, if you have a kind thought you'd like to share, or talk about how this event has made you feel, please feel free to do so in the comments section.