Olly Murs says ‘shots WERE fired’ during London’s Oxford Street Black Friday terror scare — and hints at cover-up
OLLY Murs has spoken for the first time about his part in the Black Friday terror false alarm to insist shots were fired — and hints at a cover-up.
The singer, 33, who was publicly mocked after he tweeted in a panic from inside London’s Selfridges to say guns were going off, insisted: “Something happened that day. Whether it was covered up, I don’t know.”
The ridiculed star hinted at a cover-up over the terror false alarm — saying: “It’s all a bit murky.”
Piers Morgan accused him of causing panic on one of the year’s biggest shopping days at a time when the capital was on high terror alert.
Police rubbish Olly Murs cover-up claims - but Lily Allen backs him
But Olly is adamant something did happen. He said: “I ran into an office after being told by the staff of Selfridges that someone was there with a gun.
“Whether they were shooting into the air, or whatever, something happened that day — whether it was covered up, I don’t know.”
Olly said he was in the store buying a massage chair for his aunt’s Christmas present when suddenly all hell broke loose.
He added: “One minute I’m sitting there and this guy’s saying, ‘If you press this button you get a massage’ — the next I’m getting thrown against a wall.
“And then there’s people screaming and running towards exits and I’m thinking, ‘What the f***?’
“I ran for my life thinking ‘Someone’s upstairs shooting.’ The noise of people screaming, it was terrifying.”
At 5pm Olly posted to his 8.4million Twitter followers, “F*** everyone get out of Selfridges now, gun shots! I’m inside.”
Olly did not hear gunshots himself but based his claim on information from staff and shoppers.
He told how he ended up crammed in backroom office with the mixed group as they braced themselves for a potential confrontation with armed terrorists.
He said: “I found a door and said ‘Guys, quick, let’s go into this office.’ We ended up going through this back alley and got about 20 people in.
“We shut the door and we kept walking. There were people picking up, like, things to use.
“The manager was in there, other senior people. This woman said ‘Someone was up there shooting, I could see him, in the beauty aisle he had a gun.’
“This girl was saying ‘Don’t tell me I’m lying, I saw this guy with my own eyes’. Whether he shot someone or was shooting in the air — well, obviously he didn’t shoot anyone — but someone saw something.”
At 6.05pm British Transport Police said its officers had been stood down after finding no evidence of a terror attack.
It was later reported a fight between two men in nearby Oxford Street Tube had led to a terrorism rumour.
It triggered panic among shoppers in packed Oxford Street and a stampede that left 16 people injured.
But Olly insists there was an incident in Selfridge’s — and believes it might have been covered up.
He added: “Something happened, it was a bit of murky situation.”
Piers blast
OLLY and TV presenter Piers Morgan had an angry exchange on Twitter over the shots claim.
Piers accused him of stirring up panic.
Now Olly has hit back, saying: “That’s his job — he wants to make press and headlines.
“Piers is saying I needed to think before I did it, but I was going on instinct.
“You are not gonna stand there and go, ‘Everyone calm down, I’m gonna go and look and see if someone’s actually shooting’. You would never do that.”
Olly said Piers was “probably at home with a cup of coffee” when he tweeted: “Stop tweeting mate. Nothing happened.”
But Olly insisted last night: “There was so much stuff happening in London at the time, that it was quite scary.”
Former X Factor star Olly said the level of abuse he received over the “false alarm” was unfair.
He added: “I get mocked every day on Twitter. Someone always has a little dig.
“Well, next time you’re in Selfridges and that happens to you, I’ll message you and say ‘How was that? How do you feel now? You’re not Mr Brave now are you?’
“You’re not going to stand there and go ‘Oh, wait a minute, before I make a tweet I’m going out there and see if someone’s got a gun.’
“Piers took an opportunity there and went with it. And fair enough.
“I agree with him, by the way, Twitter is a place where you have to be careful what you say. But my argument is I did exactly what the police say to do: Run, hide and tell.
“If I’d done it and someone had been shooting, you’d all be sitting here now going ‘You know what Olly, you’ve done well.’
“But no. I’m told ‘Olly you did a terrible job.’ Why? They say ‘You caused loads of panic!’ No I didn’t. The panic had already started.”
Olly said in contrast to the twitter mockery he received a lot of support from those who had been caught up in the panic.
He added: “If you speak to anyone who was there that day, everyone was running for their lives and it was a terrifying experience.”
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