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Boston College Student Describes Chaos During London Attack

BOSTON (CBS) -  A Boston College student was in parliament during the attack that left five people dead in London on Wednesday.

Andressa Quadros is studying abroad while completing a prestigious internship in the heart of England's democracy.

At first the 21-year-old hid in the bathroom until she knew her floor was safe. She described the minutes, and hours after the deadly attacks as the most frightening of her life.

London Attack
The Westminster Bridge was packed with ambulances and officers. (WBZ-TV)

"I peeked out to see the lobby and it was completely empty," Quadros said. "The first thing on my mind was: the shooter is in the building."

Quadros feared the worst as word of the terror attack spread through the halls of parliament. The intern was on her laptop wearing headphones when everything erupted.

Boston College Student
Andressa Quadros was in the parliament when the shooting took place. (WBZ-TV)

"All of a sudden, I feel the policeman yank my hair because I think he was trying to get me to move away from the window. I stand up really scared and he goes 'A police officer has just been shot in the head,'" Quadros recalled.

For six hours, Quadros, parliament visitors and staff were on lockdown, desperately trying to reach their families and get more information.

Parliament Visitors And Staff
Parliament was placed on lock down, moving visitors and faculty into a room.

"The internet was terrible because everyone was using it," Quadros said. "We were all stuck in a room. We had an entire view to Westminster Bridge. You can see the bodies, the ambulances, everything."

Andressa spoke with WBZ having just returned from a candlelight vigil Thursday.

"Keep your daily life, keep on going, not be scared," she said. "Be informed, read the newspaper, understand why this is happening, how this is affecting our countries."

Quadros is committed to making the most of her study abroad program, but does feel a new sense of vigilance.

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