Oslo: Oslo’s pride march was canceled on Saturday after a “terrorist” mass shooting killed two people and injured 21 in the normally quiet center of the Norwegian capital.
Police arrested a 42-year-old Iranian Norwegian man who was suspected shortly after shootings began around 1 am (2300 GMT on Friday) in three locations in central Oslo (including gay bars). ..
“Police are investigating the case as a terrorist attack,” police said in a statement.
The organizer of the Pride March, scheduled for Saturday afternoon, said it would be cancelled.
Organizers told Facebook that “all events related to Oslo Pride have been cancelled,” following a “clear” recommendation from the police.
“We still don’t know the reason for this horrific act, but to all the gays who are now afraid and in mourning, we say we are with you,” Jonas Girl Store said. The prime minister said on Facebook.
Police said two people were killed, 21 were injured, 10 of them were seriously injured, and two weapons were confiscated.
The arrested man was “suspected of murder, attempted murder, and terrorist acts,” police official Christian Hatro said at a news conference.
“The number of injured and murderers, the number of crime scenes … and there is good reason to believe he intended to sow terrorism,” Hatro said.
Police received the first report at 1:14 am, and the suspect was arrested five minutes later, police said.
Police said the suspect was able to be quickly captured thanks to the “heroic contribution” of the bystanders.
The shooting took place near London’s Pub Gay Club, Hanilsen Jazz Club, and takeaway grocery stores.
On Saturday, a rainbow-colored flag was hanging near the scene. The presence of police has been strengthened throughout the capital.
Norwegian anti-terrorism services are investigating whether other attacks are possible on Twitter, but so far “there are no signs of this.”
– “A man bleeding on the ground” –
“He seemed very determined about where he was heading. When he realized it was hard, he ran. A bleeding man was lying on the ground,” he said. The woman who saw told the Verdens Gang.
“There were a lot of head injuries on the ground,” the newspaper said by another witness.
According to the NRK radio journalist who was present at the time of the shooting, the shooter arrived with a bag, took out the weapon from it, and began firing.
Police said the suspect had some minor break-in to the law due to possession of knives and drugs.
In a statement, Norwegian Harald V said he was “terrifying.”
“We must come together to protect our values: freedom, diversity and mutual respect.”
On July 22, 2011, when right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people, generally peaceful Norway was the scene of a bloody attack.
He first detonated a bomb near the government headquarters in Oslo, killing eight people.
He then impersonated a policeman in a mass shooting at a summer camp for young leftists on Utoya, killing an additional 69 people. Most of them are teenagers.
