Denmark mall capturing: Gunman acted alone, doubtless not terror-related

Danish police consider a shopping center capturing that left three folks useless and 4 others critically wounded was not terror-related. They mentioned on Monday that the gunman acted alone and seems to have chosen his victims at random.

Copenhagen chief police inspector Søren Thomassen mentioned the victims — a 17-year-old boy and a 17-year-old lady, each Danes and a 47-year-old Russian man — had been killed when the gunman opened hearth on Sunday afternoon within the Field’s shopping center, certainly one of Scandinavia’s largest.

Four different folks — two Danish and two Swedish residents — had been handled for gunshot wounds and had been in essential however secure situation, Thomassen mentioned. Several different folks acquired minor accidents as they fled the shopping center, he added.

Thomassen mentioned police had no indication that anybody helped the gunman, recognized as a 22-year-old Dane. He mentioned whereas the motive is unclear, there may be nothing suggesting terrorism, and that the suspect could be arraigned later Monday on preliminary costs of homicide.

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“There is nothing in our investigation, or the documents we have reviewed, or the things we have found, or the witnesses’ statements we have gotten, that can substantiate that this is an act of terrorism,” he mentioned.

He confirmed that the suspect was identified to psychological well being providers however supplied no additional info.

Danish broadcaster TV2 printed a grainy picture of the alleged gunman, a person sporting knee-length shorts, a vest or sleeveless shirt, and holding what gave the impression to be a rifle in his proper hand.

“He seemed very violent and angry,” eyewitness Mahdi Al-Wazni informed TV2. “He spoke to me and said it (the rifle) isn’t real as I was filming him. He seemed very proud of what he was doing.”

Thomassen mentioned that moreover the rifle the suspect had when detained, “we also know that he has had access to a gun and that he carried a knife.”

Images from the scene confirmed folks working out of the mall in panic. After the capturing, a giant contingent of closely armed law enforcement officials patrolled the world, with a number of hearth division autos additionally parked outdoors the mall.

“It is pure terror. This is awful,” mentioned Hans Christian Stoltz, a 53-year-old IT advisor, who was bringing his daughters to see Harry Styles carry out at live performance scheduled for Sunday night time close to the mall. “You might wonder how a person can do this to another human being, but it’s beyond beyond anything that’s possible.”

The live performance was canceled because of the capturing.

On Snapchat, Styles wrote: “My team and I pray for everyone involved in the Copenhagen shopping mall shooting. I am shocked. Love H.”

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It was the worst gun assault in Denmark since February 2015, when a 22-year-old man was killed in a shootout with police after happening a capturing spree within the capital that left two folks useless and 5 law enforcement officials wounded. That assault was believed to have been motivated by Islamic extremism.

‘A CRUEL ATTACK’

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen known as Sunday’s capturing a “cruel attack.”

“It is incomprehensible. Heartbreaking. Pointless,” she mentioned. “Our beautiful and usually so safe capital was changed in a split second.”

The Field’s purchasing heart is on the outskirts of Copenhagen simply throughout from a subway station for a line that connects town heart with the worldwide airport. A serious freeway additionally runs adjoining to the mall.

The capturing got here per week after a mass capturing in neighboring Norway, the place police mentioned a Norwegian man of Iranian origin opened hearth throughout a LGBTQ pageant, killing two and wounding greater than 20.