A 22-year-old man has been arrested and charged with the shopping centre shooting in Denmark that has left three people dead and three others critically wounded.
Copenhagen police inspector Sren Thomassen said the three victims were a man in his 40s and “two young people”. He said the motive was unclear and he could not rule out an "act of terrorism".
The suspect, described by police as an "ethnic Dane", was detained near the Fields shopping centre on the southern outskirts of the capital, said Mr Thomassen, head of the Copenhagen police operations unit. He will face questioning by a judge later today.
“We know that there are several dead” and “several injured,” Mr Thomassen told a news conference, adding that terror cannot be ruled out. We do not have information that others are involved. This is what we know now.”
He did not provide any further details on the victims or suspect, or say how many people were killed or wounded. The shopping centre is on the outskirts of Copenhagen just across from a subway line that connects the city with the international airport.
The shootings on Sunday sparked panic among shoppers at Field's mall in south Copenhagen. Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said: "Denmark was hit by a cruel attack on Sunday night. Several were killed. Even more wounded. Innocent families shopping or eating out. Children, adolescents and adults."
"Our beautiful and usually so safe capital was changed in a split second," she added.
Danish media reported that a Harry Styles concert, scheduled at the nearby Royal Arena, was called off. Danish media reported that a Harry Styles concert, scheduled at the nearby Royal Arena, was called off.
On Snapchat, Styles wrote: “My team and I pray for everyone involved in the Copenhagen shopping mall shooting. I am shocked. Love H.”
Images from the scene showed people running out of the mall, and Denmark’s TV2 broadcaster posted a photo of a man being put on a stretcher. Witnesses said people were crying and hid in shops.
Laurits Hermansen told Danish broadcaster DR that he was in a clothing store at the shopping centre with his family when he heard “three-four bangs. Really loud bangs. It sounded like the shots were being fired just next to the store.”
Copenhagen Mayor Sophie H Andersen tweeted: “Terrible reports of shooting in Fields. We do not yet know for sure how many were injured or dead, but it is very serious.”
Police said they were first alerted to the shooting at 5:36pm local time. A huge presence of heavily-armed police officers arrived at the scene, with several fire department vehicles also parked outside the mall.
“One person has been arrested in connection with the shooting at Fields. We currently are not able to say more about the person concerned,” Copenhagen police tweeted. “We have a massive presence at Fields and are working on getting an overview.”
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
