“The massacre outside the London Pub in Oslo tonight is a terrible and deeply shocking attack on the innocent,” wrote Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gar Steer.
Norwegian police say they are treating as a “terrorist act” the overnight firefight in front of nightclubs in central Oslo, killing two people and injuring at least 21, ten of them seriously.
“Police are investigating the case as a terrorist act,” it said in a statement.
The suspect arrested after the shootings that took place around 01:00 local time (02:00 Greek time) outside two nightclubs, one of which was a gay club, in the center of Oslo, is a 42-year-old Norwegian of Iranian origin. clarified a police officer of the Norwegian capital.
The suspect, whose name was not released, was known to the intelligence services, which are also in charge of counter-terrorism, police official Christian Atlo added in a press conference.
“He is suspected of murder, attempted murder and terrorist act,” Atlo said.
The latter charge relates to “the number of dead and wounded, the number of crime scenes (…) and there is reason to believe that he intended to sow terror,” he continued.
“There is reason to believe that this is a hate crime,” he said, referring to the nature of his targets, which were nightclubs and, in particular, the London Pub, which is a gay club.
The suspect had also previously worked with police for minor offenses, such as carrying a knife or even being convicted of drug possession.
Oslo Pride canceled
The LGBTQI community pride parade scheduled for this afternoon in Oslo was canceled at the request of police following the attack, against two nightclubs, one of which was a gay club, organizers said.
Following “clear” police recommendations, “all Oslo Pride-related events are being canceled,” organizers said in a statement posted on Facebook.
The attack
The bomber struck shortly after 1 a.m. local time (02:00 a.m. Greek time) outside the Per på hjørnet pub, where two people were killed, and then in front of the adjacent London Pub gay club in central Norway. capital that was crowded on this hot summer night.
“As far as we know for sure at this stage, he was the only person who opened fire and ‘this is under our control,'” police spokesman Torre Barstadd told a news conference earlier.
However, police forces were reinforced in the capital to deal with possible other incidents.
The suspect was arrested at 01:19 (02:19 Greek time), five minutes after the first notifications. According to the NRK radio station, he was known to the police and an investigation is underway at his home.
A video taken from a mobile phone and broadcast on the Verdens Gang (VG) website shows three police officers taking control of a man who is now on the ground.
Citizens helped arrest the suspect, as well as provide first aid, according to police, who hailed “a heroic contribution”.
Two weapons were seized at the scene: an automatic weapon and a revolver, which police officer Atlo described as “old”.
An eyewitness also told VG that an automatic weapon was used in the attack and spoke of a “war scene”.
“There were many injured people who fell to the ground, who had head injuries,” the eyewitness added.
According to an NRK reporter who was at the scene at the time of the attack, the alleged perpetrator arrived there with a bag from which he pulled out a gun with which he shot.
In the early morning hours, a bag was still on the ground where the attack took place and was being handled by police experts.
The area, which is close to the courthouse, was cordoned off by police.
“He seemed very determined”
“The massacre outside the London Pub in Oslo tonight is a terrible and deeply shocking attack on the innocent,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gar Stere.
“We do not yet know the reasons for this horrific act, but I tell the homosexuals who are now afraid and mourn that we are all with you,” the prime minister wrote in a Facebook post.
The perpetrator “seemed very determined about where he was aiming,” an eyewitness to the attack told VG.
Norway, a generally calm country, was rocked by a bloody attack on July 22, 2011.
That day, far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in a bomb attack on the government headquarters in Oslo and then opened fire indiscriminately on those who took part in a Labor youth camp on the island of Uteja.
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