A survivor of the horrific Kenya University massacre, 19-year-old Cynthia Cheroitich, was rescued today after police heard movement from within a locked wardrobe. The student, a Christian, had hid in the wardrobe as the al-Shabaab gunmen ravaged the campus. The woman refused to come out of the locked cabinet initially, fearing the troops were actually al-Shabaab gunmen in disguise.
The Daily Mail reports that Cheroitich remained in the wardrobe for 50 hours before her eventual rescue by Kenyan troops. The woman says that she hid underneath clothes inside the wardrobe during the massacre and drank several bottles of body lotion for sustenance. She says she was very hungry and thirsty but was too scared to leave her hiding place. Therefore, she drank all the bottles of lotion that were in the wardrobe over the course of the 50 hour wait.
Police say the frightened woman was rushed to a local hospital and given milk. They note that she is now in counseling after the horrifying ordeal.
“She was given milk and rushed to the Garissa hospital, where she is being observed before being given counseling.”
It was reported that four other survivors, along with Cheroitich, were found today hiding in the school as troops combed the property. The horrific shooting took the lives of 148 people in total as the al-Shabaab gunmen stormed the campus with guns. The gunmen pushed through security and began their rampage. Their goal was to kill as many Christians as possible. The only lives that were spared were those of Muslims that could prove their faith.
It was noted that the gunmen either shot or beheaded anyone who could not recite the Koran. The massacre would last a total of six hours and claim 148 lives. Most of the lives lost were those of students. However, two security guards from the University, two police officers, and a soldier were also killed in the attack.
As the massacre came to a close, three of the gunmen “exploded like bombs” as they were strapped with explosives. The shrapnel from the bombs injured a number of police officers. However, it seems the al-Shabaab terrorists are not done with Kenya. They posted a warning that more attacks would take place across the country, with the Kenya University massacre just the start of the long war.
“Kenyan cities will run red with blood. This will be a long, gruesome war of which you, the Kenyan public, are its first casualties. No amount of precaution or safety measures will be able to guarantee your safety, thwart another attack or prevent another bloodbath.”