Of all the soft targets to carry out a terror attack, this choice was especially evil.
The 21,000-seat Manchester Arena was packed with children and teenagers, elated to see their beloved pop star Ariana Grande.
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But at least 22 concertgoers, including an 8-year-old girl, will never go home – the latest victims of a mass terror attack.
“This was the ultimate soft target,” CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem said. “It takes a special kind of cruelty to target this concert.”
Here’s what witnesses and parents said, in their own words:
Stephanie Hill, 57, who attended with her 19-year-old daughter
“People had come from all over tonight. Everyone in there was saying that the tickets were Christmas presents for their children.”
Steven Jones, bystander who helped victims
“It was just one of those things, an instinct that you have to help if someone needs your help. And it was children, a lot of children with blood all over them, crying and screaming. If I didn’t help, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself for walking away and leaving kids like that.”
Kiera Dawber, witness
“There was just bodies scattered about everywhere. … There was at least 20 or 30 people on the floor, some that you could see straight off were just, just dead.”
Coral Long, mother of a 10-year-old survivor
“She’s just petrified that whoever did this will come to the house or go to her school. … She’s just been crying. She’s just saying, ‘Why do these things happen to people? Why do they keep doing this to people?’ Again she’s just so worried that they’re going to come to her school. I’m breaking down today because yesterday I just had to be strong for her, to just remain calm and just make sure that we got home safe, which thankfully we did.”
Jessica Pierpoint, an 18-year-old concertgoer
“When everybody was trying to escape, we all just kind of got crushed because everybody was just trying to run as fast as they could. … I honestly didn’t think I would be making it home.”
Charlotte Campbell, who’s still looking for her missing 15-year-old daughter, Olivia
“We’ve phoned hospitals. We’ve phoned everywhere we can think. We’ve posted on every social network, and there’s nothing…
“We’ve tried everything we can. They’re telling us to wait by the phones. Her dad is out looking … It’s the most horrible feeling ever, to know your daughter is there and you don’t know whether she’s dead or alive…
“I want her home and I want her safe … I just want her to walk through the door.”
Andy James, who was celebrating his 9-year-old brother’s birthday at the concert
“The sound rattled my chest. … The stewards were trying to calm people down, but everyone was running in a stampede.”
Ivo Delgad, witness
“There was a lot of little girls running out, and parents shouting out and yelling names.”
Kyia Zaremba, concertgoer
“I felt like I was going to cry, but nothing came out.”
