Gunman kills at least three in Copenhagen mass shooting

Gunman kills at least three in Copenhagen mass shooting
Two women fleeing the shopping mall Fields after the mass shooting in Copenhagen. Credit: Twitter

A 22-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting at a shopping centre in Copenhagen, which killed at least three people and has left three others critically wounded.

The shooting took place Sunday afternoon when police received reports of shooting at 17:35 after which emergency services were immediately dispatched to the scene. Videos on social media show people fleeing the mall.

At a press conference Monday morning, Copenhagen's police chief Søren Thomassen said that a 17-year-old Danish woman, a 17-year-old Danish man and a 47-year-old Russian citizen has been killed in the attack.

Two other Danes and two Swedes had been wounded and were in hospital, three of them in critical but stable conditions. Several others has received minor injuries when leaving the mall, according to Thomassen.

Calls for unity

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sent her condolences to the victims and their families in a statement Sunday night. "I encourage the Danes to stand together and to support one another during these difficult times.

"We have all been brutally ripped from the bright summer that had just begun. It is incomprehensible. Heartbreaking. Meaningless. Our beautiful and usually safe capital was changed in a split second," Frederiksen said.

A 22-year-old man has been arrested and is the only suspect. Police are conducting a mass investigation to ensure that there are no other potential perpetrators involved.

The suspect was apprehended 13 minutes after receiving the first emergency call. He carried a rifle and ammunition when he was detained.

At a press conference on Monday, Thomassen said there were no signs that the attack was terror-motivated nor that it was a gender-motivated "incel" act. Police believe the victims were randomly chosen. The suspect was known to have psychiatric problems.

Strict gun control

Gun violence is rare in Copenhagen, thanks in part to the country's strict gun control laws, which requires police permission to own a weapon. The minimum age to buy a gun is 20, which can only be done after belonging to a hunting association for at least two years. In addition, a clean criminal record is required when buying a weapon.

The last major shooting incident in Denmark was in 2015, when a gunman attacked a synagogue and a free speech forum, which killed two and wounded three others.


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