Camilla Fandal was one of those who had to throw herself down on the dance floor at the London Pub when the terrorist shot in through the windows. Two men were shot and killed during the terrorist attack in central Oslo on the night of 25 June 2022. Nine others received gunshot wounds. Photo: Olav Rønneberg / news The party atmosphere on the warm June night suddenly turned into a nightmare. Camilla survived the terrorist night on 25 June 2022, but the time afterwards was very difficult. Almost a year later, she took her own life. – There are more than just two fatalities after the shooting last year, says Johannes Olai Fandal to news. He lost his mother when she was found dead on June 10 last year, a few days before the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attack. Camilla Fandal was 45 years old. Photo: Private – One has the two victims who died from the gunshot wounds themselves. But all the psychological consequences afterwards, for quite a few more, have had major consequences. My mother is one of those who was affected by it to such an extent that it became too difficult to continue living, says Johannes. He says the ripple effects after the attack are great. – It is sad and painful that it affects so many. It goes beyond many more people than you would think, when something like this happens. We relatives of those who have passed away are left with an unimaginable number of questions, but we will never get answers to them, says Fandal to news. The trauma from the London Pub Camilla Fandal had the status of offended in the criminal case. She was at the London Pub with Kjersti Aas, who later became her fiancé, when the mass shooting happened. They were literally in the line of fire, but were not physically harmed. Camilla Fandal and Kjersti Aas were together at the London Pub when the terrorist shot in through the windows. Later they became lovers. Photo: Private Camilla and Kjersti became lovers shortly after the terrorist attack. They stayed together and tried to create a normal family life in Sørlandet in the difficult time afterwards. – The time after the terrorist attack was very difficult. I struggled to understand and process what had happened and how to tell it. It was a time characterized by stress, fear and confusion. I also got to know what panic attacks were, Kjersti Aas tells news. Aas says that his girlfriend was more tired than before and needed more rest. – She had pain in her head and body. In one case, she was admitted to the emergency department with a migraine that required treatment. – Both Camilla and I wanted to distance ourselves from everything to do with the incident. At the end of November we got engaged and it was pretty clear to us what the wedding and the future would be like, says Aas. She wants to tell her fiance’s story because she says there are still many people who have not yet received the help they need. news met Johannes Olai Fandal and Kjersti Aas outside the London Pub in connection with this year’s Pride celebrations in the capital. Photo: Olav Døvik / news Left a letter Camilla Fandal received help from the crisis team in Oslo and later Lindesnes right after the terrorist attack. Kjersti Aas says that the two applied to an institution that has experts in trauma treatment. – There we got the answer that there was no doubt that we should be allowed to come to them to get further help. But there was a six to seven month wait. It was a punch in the stomach. Just then, Camilla was very unwell, says the fiancé. – Camilla left us a letter. There she writes about the difficulties of the past year and about the terror, says Kjersti. The two greatly dreaded the one-year anniversary of the incident, because then they knew the memories would come even closer. – In a letter that she wrote to us children, she has mentioned that the time around that has been unimaginably difficult. I would like to believe that it is a very strong factor, if not the decisive factor, why she took her own life, says Johannes Olai Fandal. Was a campaigner Camilla Fandal left behind three children. Johannes says that the two had a special relationship, because he is also gay. They therefore had their own understanding of each other. Kjersti Aas and Johannes Olai Fandal lay flowers at the scene of the terrorist attack. Photo: Olav Døvik / news – She was not only my mother, but she was certainly my best friend. I lost my absolute biggest supporter, says Johannes. – She started taking up the gay fight very strongly a few years ago when I was assaulted in Stavanger. Then it was as if something clicked for her. Now she just had to fight, says Johannes Olai Fandal. Just two weeks after the terrorist attack in Oslo, Camilla attended Lindesnes Pride with the rainbow flag raised high and a captain’s armband in the colors of the rainbow with a black C on her arm. She appeared for several newspapers and in Fædrelandsvennen she was quoted as follows: “- I am injured, but I will never stop fighting.” Those left behind say that Camilla helped and supported others who were affected by the terror already on the night it happened and in the time afterwards. – She wanted to make sure that everyone else was fine, and then perhaps she forgot herself, says Johannes. Camilla had had problems earlier in her life, which Kjersti believes had made her the strong personality that she was. – She was a boon to all her friends. The trauma of the terrorist attack opened old wounds. It became more difficult for her to handle everything at the same time, despite having the knowledge of how to handle difficult days, says Kjersti. Several victims have died Kjersti Aas followed the trial against terrorist accused Zaniar Matapour in the Oslo district court this spring. The courthouse is located right next to the crime scene. Photo: Olav Døvik / news The perpetrator, Zaniar Matapour, was sentenced in the Oslo district court to 30 years’ imprisonment for aggravated terrorism. During the trial, the police said that three of the victims had passed away after the terrorist attack, in addition to the two who were shot dead. One of the three helped to overpower the perpetrator and was honored by the government with a medal for noble deeds after his death. Several of the victims who testified in the trial talked about trauma, and that they sometimes think about whether life is worth living. Leader of the Support Group on 25 June, Espen Evjenth, thinks Camilla Fandal’s story is heartbreaking. Espen Evjenth leads the Support Group on 25 June. He says many of those affected by the terrorist attack are still struggling. Photo: Julia Kirsebom Thommessen / news – We know that there are many people who have not yet received the help they need. The government has finally allocated money for a research project that will investigate how those affected by the terror are faring. There we hope to get a few more answers and get a better overview of how things are actually going now two years after the attack. – The only thing that is stupid is that it was not put in place earlier. We have something to learn from that. Evjenth heard all the testimonies of the victims in the trial and says what strikes him is how fresh what happened is still for those who were in the middle of it. – We who were affected all have the right to seek help. We know that there are different experiences with the system we have, but if you don’t try, you won’t get help anyway, says Evjenth. Colorful funeral Camilla Fandal wanted people to dress in happy colors at her funeral. This was the case both during the memorial service in Sørlandet and the funeral in Mo i Rana, where she came from. From the funeral of Camilla Fandal in Mo church on 27 June 2023. Photo: private – The church was filled to the brim in both places, which showed how many lives Camilla had touched with her warmth and love. The motorcade that filled Mo i Rana’s streets and followed Camilla to her final resting place was a strong symbol of the community and love for her, says the fiancé today. She didn’t want hymns in church, but asked for techno-joic. – There were a lot of tears, but it was also good to see that everyone came with flying colours. It was like something completely different. It was like my mother’s. She got her last wish there, says the son. Johannes Olai Fandal says that the motorcade was so long that it stopped traffic in Mo i Rana. – I want Camilla to be remembered as a brave and loving person who always fought for justice and love, says Kjersti Aas. news has been in contact with the rest of Camilla Fandal’s family. They want her story to be told. Need someone to talk to? Several crisis services can be reached by telephone. Mental Health: 116 123 (open 24 hours a day) The Church’s SOS: 22 40 00 40 (open 24 hours a day) Red Cross: 800 33 321 Emergency call centre: 116 117 (for immediate help, open 24 hours a day) Published 13.07.2024, at 07.52
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Camilla survived the pride terror – one year later she took her own life – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
