Norwegian police favor the “terrorist” track after fatal shootings in the night near a gay bar in the heart of downtown Oslo, a shooting which led to the cancellation of an LGBT Pride march scheduled for this Saturday.
The alleged perpetrator of the attack which killed two people and injured 21, including ten seriously, is, according to the Oslo police, a 42-year-old Norwegian of Iranian origin known to the services responsible for anti-terrorism.
“He is suspected of homicide, attempted homicide and terrorist act,” said a police official, Christian Hatlo, during a press conference.
This last count is motivated by “the number of wounded and killed, the number of crime scenes – at least three – and … there is good reason to believe that he intended to sow terror,” he added.
According to the police, the vital prognosis of the injured is not or no longer engaged.
The shooting occurred at around 1 a.m. (2300 GMT Friday) outside a pub, per på hjørnet, then outside a nearby gay club, the London Pub, in what was then a crowded neighborhood this hot summer night.
“There are reasons to believe that this is a hate crime,” added Mr. Hatlo, referring to the nature of the places targeted, “in particular the London Pub”.
The LGBT Pride march scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Oslo has been cancelled.
Following “clear” police recommendations, “all Oslo Pride-related events are cancelled,” organizers wrote in a statement.
In a show of solidarity, many people, often in tears and silent, came to lay rainbow flags and bouquets of flowers near the scene of the attack cordoned off by the police, AFP journalists noted. .
“Today is a day that reminds us that Pride is a day for which we must fight, the goal has not yet been reached”, testified Trond Petter Aunås met on site.
At this stage, the police believe that the author of the shooting acted alone, even if the investigation will have to shed light on possible complicity in the preparation.
Police forces have been reinforced in the capital to deal with possible other incidents, and officers, who are generally unarmed in Norway, have been instructed to arm themselves across the kingdom.
For their part, the anti-terrorist services said “work has been done to determine whether other attacks may have been planned”. “For the moment, we have no indication in this direction”, specified the HNP on Twitter.
war scene
The suspect was arrested at 1:19 a.m. on Saturday (23:19 GMT Friday), five minutes after the initial reports.
Civilians helped with his capture as well as with first aid, according to the police who hailed “a heroic contribution”.
The man had already had to deal with the police for minor acts such as carrying a knife or a conviction for possession of narcotics.
Two weapons were seized in connection with the attack: an automatic weapon and a handgun, which Mr. Hatlo presented as “old”.
A witness interviewed by the newspaper Verdens Gang (VG) spoke of “a scene of war”. “There were plenty of injured people on the ground who had head injuries,” he said.
According to an NRK journalist present at the time of the shooting, the shooter arrived with a bag from which he pulled out a weapon with which he fired.
A black bag was still visible on Saturday on the sidewalk in an area strewn with broken glass where forensic experts were busy.
“The shooting outside the London Pub in Oslo tonight is a horrific and deeply shocking attack on innocent people,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said.
“To the homosexuals who are now afraid and grieving, I want to say that we are all together with you,” he wrote on Facebook.
A government conference is scheduled for 2 p.m. (1200 GMT).
King Harald said he was “horrified”. “We must come together to defend our values: freedom, diversity and mutual respect,” he said in an official statement.
Generally peaceful, Norway has nevertheless been the scene of bloody attacks such as those perpetrated on July 22, 2011 by right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik.