Two dead, several injured in shooting near gay bar in central Oslo

BET À DAY

Two people were killed and 14 people injured, several seriously, in shootings near bars in central Oslo overnight from Friday to Saturday, Norwegian police said, who arrested a suspect. 

The shooting occurred around 1am local time (2300 GMT) at three close locations, including a gay bar, in the center of the Norwegian capital.

Police reported two dead and 14 injured, and said two weapons had been seized.

“Everything now indicates that there was only one person who committed this gesture, “said a police official, Tore Barstad, during a press briefing.

However, the numbers have been reinforced in the capital to deal with other incidents, he added, without specifying whether it was a terrorist act.

The police have received the first reports at 1:14 a.m. and the suspect was arrested five minutes later, he said.

The shooting happened near the gay club London Pub, the jazz club Herr Nilsen and a takeaway food outlet.

Police officials gathered to reflect on the impact of the shooting on the staging of the Pride march due to take place on Saturday afternoon in Oslo.

“Very determined”

“He looked very determined on where he was aiming. When I realized it was serious, I ran. There was a bleeding man lying on the ground,” a woman who witnessed the scene told Verdens Gang (VG) newspaper.

Another witness mentioned to VG the use of an automatic weapon – information that the police did not confirm – and spoke of “a scene of war”. “There were a lot of wounded on the ground who had head injuries,” he said.

According to an NRK journalist present at the time of the shooting, the shooter arrived with a bag from which he pulled out a gun and fired.

The area was cordoned off by heavily armed police equipped with bulletproof vests and helmets.

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Of the 14 injured, eight were taken to hospital and six others were taken to medical attention.

“Some are described as seriously injured, others as more lightly injured said policeman Tore Barstad.

Generally peaceful Norway was the scene of bloody attacks on July 22, 2011 when right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in an attack in the bombing of the government building in Oslo and a shooting attack on a Labor youth rally on the island of Utoeya.