... Suddenly, as if they had all agreed to do so, the tanks made a 90 degree turn to the left. Then the tanks drove over the sidewalk, the grass, and the trees, crushing cars and disregarding people. They were going up towards the fence, straight at us. People ran in all directions. You could hear shooting and people screaming. Clouds of poisonous gas and searchlights from military vehicles created chaos. We ran towards the kindergarten. Tanks were racing after us, and they had already surrounded us from the front. We had hardly managed to climb over the kindergarten fence when roaring tanks and shouting paratroopers raced behind us towards the tower. The protective fence was broken and people ran screaming all over the place. Both at the top of the hill and below they were firing machine guns and cannons, and were spreading gas constantly. Amidst the shots you could hear the “Salvation Committee" of Lithuania announce in Russian and Lithuanian that power was in their hands, that there was no other power in Lithuania, and for us to be “reasonable" and disperse. They also “appealed" to mothers to take their children from the tower because they didn't want blood. Meanwhile, the shooting continued. Ambulances were rushing up towards the tower and back down again.
Lithuania, 1991.01.13 : documents, testimonies, comments. - Vilnius : State Publishing Center, 1992, p. 241.