OSLO – Hours after the shooting early Saturday in the Norwegian capital killed two people and seriously injured at least 10 peoplePolice said they are treating it as a terrorist attack.
The shooting happened near a popular gay club in downtown Oslo, hours before the city was scheduled to hold its annual Pride parade. The Event organizers later said they had canceled the parade and other events related to Pride festival lasts 10 days at the suggestion of the police.
“We will be proud and re-appear soon, but for now, today, we will be holding Pride events in our homes,” Inger Kristin Haugsevje, leader of the Oslo Pride team, said in a statement. Father.
A male suspect was arrested shortly after the shooting, Oslo police said on Twitter. Christian Hatlo, a police attorney, told reporters later on Saturday that the man in custody is a 42-year-old Norwegian citizen of Iranian descent and has a previous conviction for misdemeanors.
Police said the gunman opened fire outside two nightclubs and a restaurant. Mr. Hatlo later said that authorities had charged him with murder, attempted murder and terrorism. He said they were investigating the shooting as a terrorist attack because of the number of crime scenes as well as the size of the deaths and injuries.
“It seems that he intends to create fear among the people,” Mr Hatlo said.
Mr Hatlo said police had reason to think the attack was a crime because one of the three locations was the London Pub, a hub of gay nightlife.
The suspect’s defense attorney could not be immediately reached for comment.
In addition to 10 people who were seriously injured, 11 others were slightly injured, some of them in panic ran away from the scene, Mr. Hat said. He added that police seized two weapons, including a fully automatic one.
Shootings are extremely rare in Norway. Gun owners must be licensed and take safety classes, and a ban on semi-automatic weapons enacted by the Norwegian Parliament – a belated response to a 2011 attack by an extremist gunman killing 77 people – took effect last year.
Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Store, Description of the latest shooting in a statement as a “cruel and deeply shocking attack on innocent people.” The mayor of Oslo, Raymond Johansen, called it “terrible. “
Masud Gharahkhani, speaker of the Norwegian Parliament, also condemned the shooting Facebook page.
Mr Gharahkhani, a Norwegian citizen of Iranian descent, said the Parliament building had flown the Pride flag for the first time last Saturday to “celebrate diversity and love”.
“I’m proud of that,” he said. “I have time and again witnessed how hate erupts on social media when we celebrate racial diversity. That is sad and unacceptable.”
Henrik Pryser Libell reported from Oslo, and Mike Ives from Seoul.
