A 22-year-old Dane was arrested, Copenhagen police inspector Thomassen told reporters, adding that there was no indication that anyone else was involved in the attack, although police were continuing to investigate. Such shootings are rare in Denmark. Thomassen said it was too early to speculate on a motive for the shooting, which happened late in the afternoon at Field’s, one of the largest shopping centers in Scandinavia and located on the outskirts of the Danish capital. When the shots rang out, some hid in shops while others fled in panic, according to witnesses.
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Story continues below ad “It’s pure terror. This is awful,” said Hans Christian Stolz, a 53-year-old IT consultant, who was bringing his daughters to see Harry Styles perform at the concert scheduled for Sunday night near the mall. “You may wonder how a person can do this to another human being, but is it beyond ? beyond all that is possible.” Thomassen did not give a specific number of casualties other than that many people were dead and several wounded. He said the suspect was an “ethnic Dane,” a phrase commonly used to mean someone is white. Danish broadcaster TV2 released a grainy photo of the alleged gunman, a man wearing knee-length shorts and a tank top and holding a rifle in his right hand. Trending Stories
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0:34 Footage of Copenhagen shopping mall shooting shows people running from shooting at Copenhagen shopping mall Footage of Copenhagen shopping mall shooting shows people running away from gunfire
Copenhagen Mayor Sophie H. Andersen tweeted: “Terrible reports of shooting at Fields. We don’t yet know for sure how many are injured or dead, but it is very serious.” Story continues below ad Images from the scene showed people running out of the mall and TV2 published a photo of a man being put on a stretcher. After the shooting, a large body of heavily armed police patrolled the area, with several fire engines also parked outside the mall. Laurich Hermansen told Danish broadcaster DR that he was in a clothes shop in the shopping center with his family when he heard “three, four bangs. Really strong bangs. It sounded like the shots were being fired right next to the store.” The shopping center is located on the outskirts of Copenhagen directly opposite a metro station for a line connecting the city center to the international airport. A major highway is also adjacent to the mall. Danish media reported that Harry Styles’ concert, which was scheduled to take place at the nearby Royal Arena, was cancelled. On Snapchat, Styles wrote: “My team and I are praying for everyone involved in the Copenhagen mall shooting. I’m shocked. Love H.” Shortly after the shooting, the royal palace said a reception with Crown Prince Frederik linked to the Tour de France cycling race was cancelled. The first three stages of the race were held this year in Denmark. The reception was to be held on the royal yacht moored in Soenderborg, the town where the third stage ended. Story continues below ad The shootings came a week after a mass shooting in neighboring Norway, where police said a Norwegian of Iranian descent opened fire during an LGBTQ festival, killing two and injuring more than 20. © 2022 The Associated Press
