The shooting near a gay bar in Oslo, Norway is being treated as ‘an act of Islamist terrorism’, the country’s domestic intelligence service PST, which is responsible for counterterrorism, said on Saturday.
According to Reuters, a gunman went on a rampage in a gay bar and surrounding streets killing two persons and seriously injuring at least 21 people. PST’s chief Roger Berg also said in a press conference that the suspect had ‘ a long history of violence and threats’ and he was being monitored by the authorities ‘since 2015 in connection with concerns about his radicalisation’.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the police confirmed that one suspect was arrested and although they did not reveal the name, he is reportedly of Iranian descent. Police attorney Christian Hatlo told Reuters that he was being held on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and terrorism. ‘Our overall assessment is that there are grounds to believe that he wanted to cause grave fear in the population’, Hatlo said according to the report.
The Pride march, which was supposed to take place in the Norwegian capital, was also called off due to the shootings. The organisers announced in a Facebook post that all events linked to ‘Oslo Pride’ have been cancelled, following ‘clear recommendations’ from police and other authorities. The shootings were in and near the London Pub, a popular LGBTQ+ venue, the Herr Nilsen jazz club and another pub. The shooter opened fire at the London Pub, and the crime scene extended to the nearby streets when he was ultimately captured, police spokesman Tore Barstad told the media. ‘Two people are confirmed dead’, the Oslo police department said in a tweet.
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