Google Inc is honoring the victims of this week’s deadly school attack in Peshawar with a lit candle posted on its Pakistan home page. The candle appears on Google’s search page at Google.com.pk.
Google mourns with Pakistan
Taliban militants seized a school in Peshawar on Dec. 16, killing 141 people. Of that death toll, 132 of the victims were children. According to India Today, the Pakistan Taliban released photos of the six militants responsible for the attack. The terrorist organization said the attack on the arm-operated school was in retribution for a number of attacks the Pakistan army had been running against it.
The day of the massacre, six members of the Pakistan Taliban entered the Peshawar school and immediately began shooting children. The attack is arguably the most violent and horrific attack Pakistan has seen in years, even as violence has been ongoing throughout the nation.
Peshawar attack survivors recount the horror
Immediately after the attack, social media lit up with comments of support and expressions about how horrific the attack was. The BBC shared the stories of some survivors. When the Taliban first entered the building and began shooting, teachers at the school reportedly told students not to worry because the army may have simply been conducting training.
When the Pakistan army later stormed the building to free the survivors, they found a security guard who had been shot and killed, and officials believe the first gunshots that were heard were those that killed the guard. Much of the massacre took place in the auditorium, which was where the guard was located.
The Times of India reports the attackers toyed with students at the school, saying they would let some of them go if they raised their hands. They then selected eight students, lined them up, and shot and killed them right in front of their classmates.
Peshawar school located in a dangerous area
Officials said several months ago, they discovered a bomb on the grounds of the same school, and in August of last year, there was another security alert, which resulted in teachers calling for the walls to be fortified. Police said the area around the school “is infested with criminals” and that an Afghan refugee camp was located nearby. Often militants hide out in Afghan refugee camps before they strike.
In spite of the warnings, army officials made no moves to secure the school.