COPENHAGEN, Denmark — A gunman who killed three individuals when he opened fireplace in a crowded shopping center acted alone and apparently chosen his victims at random, Danish police mentioned Monday, all however ruling out that the assault was associated to terrorism.
Authorities filed preliminary prices of homicide and tried homicide towards a 22-year-old Danish man, who shall be held for twenty-four days in a safe psychological well being facility whereas authorities examine the crime, prosecutor Soren Harbo advised reporters.
After the custody listening to, protection lawyer Luise Hoj mentioned she agreed to have her consumer bear a psychological examination. She didn’t touch upon the costs. Police have mentioned the person was identified to psychological well being service with out elaborating.
Police haven’t recognized a motive for Sunday’s assault inside one in every of Scandinavia’s greatest purchasing facilities. The suspect, carrying a rifle and knife, was shortly arrested, and Copenhagen chief police inspector Soren Thomassen mentioned the person additionally had entry to a different gun. He mentioned the firearms had been obtained illegally however gave no additional particulars.
“It was the worst possible nightmare,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen mentioned Monday, calling the assault “unusually brutal.”
The three killed had been a 17-year-old boy and a 17-year-old woman, each Danes, and a 47-year-old Russian man, in line with Thomassen. Four extra individuals had been hospitalized with gunshot wounds and had been in vital however steady situation. In all, round two dozen individuals had been damage, most within the panicked stampede after the pictures rang out on the Field’s purchasing middle, on the outskirts of the Danish capital.
Gun violence is comparatively uncommon in Denmark. The final taking pictures on this scale was in February 2015, when a 22-year-old man was killed in a shootout with police after an assault within the capital that left two individuals lifeless and 5 law enforcement officials wounded.
The suspect, who can’t be named by court docket order, was introduced earlier than a decide Monday in a packed courtroom to face three preliminary prices of homicide and 4 of tried homicide.
That’s a step in need of formal prices however enable authorities to maintain an individual in custody throughout an investigation.
When the court docket dominated that the listening to needs to be held behind shut doorways, the media had been despatched out. It wasn’t instantly clear how the suspect pleaded. He will stay in custody till July 28, police mentioned.
While authorities have mentioned there isn’t a indication that anybody helped the person, Copenhagen police inspector Dannie Rise mentioned the investigation can be sophisticated.
“We need to put together this jigsaw puzzle,” Rise mentioned. “And it is huge.”
Earlier, Thomassen mentioned police had found nothing up to now “that can substantiate that this is an act of terrorism.” He has recognized the person as an “ethnic Dane,” a phrase usually used to imply somebody is white.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”