A schoolboy is considered a hero for saving more than a hundred people from the Moscow massacre.
When terrorists began shooting concertgoers on Friday, 15-year-old Islam Khalilov was working at his part-time job as a cloakroom attendant at the Crocus City Hall venue in Moscow.
The brave boy remained calm – despite seeing a man being shot right in front of him – and led terrified people fleeing the gunmen to the emergency exits, saving dozens of lives.
His bravery and quick thinking were exposed as Russia held a day of national mourning for the people – including three children – who died in the horrors.
Russian state television editor Margarita Simonyan said earlier today that the death toll had risen to 143, but did not provide the source of her information.
When terrorists began shooting concertgoers on Friday, 15-year-old Islam Khalilov (pictured) was working at his part-time job as a cloakroom attendant at the Crocus City Hall venue in Moscow.
Footage from the concert venue showed panicked attendees running for their lives in the foyer of Crocus City Hall
Hundreds of people gathered at the concert hall today to pay their respects and lay flowers as Russia declared a national day of mourning
The condition of 44 survivors – including two children – is described as ‘serious’, while that of 16 other victims, including one child, is ‘extremely serious’.
The British embassy in Moscow and the consulate in Yekaterinburg lowered their flags “to join the Russian people in mourning the victims of the terrorist attack at Crocus Town Hall.”
New footage has also emerged of people setting up barricades from cafe seats as they tried to avoid being shot by the brutal killers.
In addition, a new video also emerged showing Russian troops kicking and hitting a terrorist suspect as he was detained in the Bryansk region.
Schoolboy Islam was seen in separate footage showing him leading the fleeing crowd out an emergency staircase.
“That way, that way, that way,” he shouts. ‘Everyone go that way. Everyone there. To the Expo, to the Expo…’
Islam said: ‘First we heard strange noises on the first floor. We thought maybe a rowdy group had come.”
Then he saw people starting to run away in panic. He saw a man in front of him get shot and knew he had to escape and help others.
He said: “I understood that if I didn’t respond, I would lose my life and the lives of many people,” he said. “Honestly, it was very scary.”
He shouted and gestured to the frightened and panicked people to follow him.
“As I stood in the crowd and walked to the door to open it, I thought (the gunmen) might come down the stairs or escalator and throw a grenade or open deadly fire.
‘Thank God nothing happened. I was able to open the door in time and let everyone out towards the Expo.’
The teenage rescuer led more than 100 people to the entrance of the (Crocus) Expo in an adjacent building.
Islam (pictured) said: ‘That this all happened before my eyes. To be honest, I’m still in shock. A man was shot right in front of my eyes, I can’t stop thinking about it.”
Panic broke out in the foyer of Moscow’s Crocus City Hall when the shooting began on Friday
Russian media share photos of four suspected terrorists in the Crocus concert hall massacre in Moscow, with their names as (clockwise from left) Makhmadrasul Nasridinov, 27, Rivozhidin Ismonov, 51, Shokhindzhonn Safolzoda, 21, Rustam Nazarov, 29
Fire breaks out over the burning Crocus City Hall concert hall after armed men stormed the building and set parts of it on fire
Schoolboy Islam was seen in separate footage showing him leading the fleeing crowd out an emergency staircase. “That way, that way, that way,” he shouts. ‘Everyone go that way. Everyone there. To the Expo, to the Expo…’
Image of the suspected gunmen who opened fire at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow
A woman lights a candle at a makeshift memorial to the victims of a shooting outside the Crocus City Hall concert venue in the Moscow region, Russia, March 24
As an avid football player, Islam himself ran last to ensure no one was left behind.
He explained: ‘We were shown and told where to send people if something happened. I knew where to take people to keep them safe.”
He revealed that his mother was in shock at the horror and cried because of what her son had to go through.
Islam added: “That this all happened before my eyes. To be honest, I’m still in shock. A man was shot right in front of my eyes, I can’t stop thinking about it.’
The schoolboy, a Muslim, is expected to be honored by Russian law enforcement officials.
The spiritual leader of Russia’s Muslims, Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin, separately presents him with a medal.
Many see an offshoot of ISIS behind the attack that killed a total of 285 people, including eight children.