A 15-year-old boy is being credited with saving over 100 people from the terrorist massacre at a Moscow concert hall on Friday.
The teen, Islam Khalilov, who worked as a cloakroom attendant at the Crocus City Hall, quickly moved to open doors and provide exits when he saw a large crowd of people running from the besieged concert hall.
“At first we heard some strange sounds on the first floor. We thought maybe some noisy group had come,” he explained later in an interview, according to the Daily Mail. “I understood that if I didn’t react, I would lose my life and the lives of many people,” he added.
“We were shown and told where to send people if something happened. I knew where to take people to keep them safe,” Khalilov said.
Islam recalled seeing one of the terrorists and how it scared him. “To be honest I don’t consider myself a hero. It was part of my job. It is better to sacrifice oneself than allow a hundred people to die,” the boy stated in a humble tone while talking to Al Jazeera.
Russian children’s rights commissioner awarded Khalilov and 14-year-old Artyom Donskov-who was also working at the venue during the attack-with an official thank-you letter from the government.
Russia’s Council of Muftis announced that it would award Khalilov with the Medal for Merit, the highest award of Russia’s Islamic community in the upcoming Friday prayer at Moscow’s Cathedral Mosque, reports The Moscow Times.
At least 139 people were killed in last Friday’s attack. Russian authorities have arrested 11 suspects, four of whom they say were directly involved in the massacre.
