Pride celebrations were marred by another mass shooting, this time in Oslo, Norway, which left two people dead and at least 21 others injured–in three different locations
Pride celebrations were marred by another mass shooting, this time in Oslo, Norway, which left two people dead and at least 21 others injured–in three different locations including the popular London Pub, the Heir Nilson Jazz Club and another pub.
Norwegian officials say it happened in the early hours of Saturday morning, as revelers gathered in at the London Pub–a popular LGBTQIA+ bar ahead of what would have been the city’s larger Pride celebrations on Saturday afternoon.
CBS News is reporting the two people who were killed were a man in his 50s and one in his 60s. Of the 21 injured, at least 10 are in serious condition.
Norwegian authorities say the suspect is a 42-year-old Norwegian citizen of Iranian descent.
The suspect has not been officially named, but was known to authorities at least as far back as 2015. They say they later grew concerned he had become radicalized and was part of an unspecified Islamist network.
Norway's prime minister told the BBC the suspect was questioned in May, but was not deemed a threat at the time. "We now need to see the result of an investigation," PM Jonas Gahr Stoere told the BBC's Newshour.
The Norwegian Police Security Service's acting chief, Roger Berg, said the incident was an "extreme Islamist terror act" and said the suspect had a "long history of violence and threats," as well as mental health issues.
Norwegian media identified the suspect as Zaniar Matapour. The suspect's defense lawyer, John Christian Elden, said his client hadn't talked to investigators, according to CBS News.
"He has not given any reason. It is too early to conclude whether this is hate crime or terrorism," Elden said in an email to The Associated Press.
Police attorney Christian Hatlo said it was too early to say whether the gunman specifically targeted members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Investigators recovered two weapons after the attack: a handgun and an automatic weapon.
The incident prompted the Norwegian Police Security Service to heighten its terror alert level from "moderate" to "extraordinary" — the highest level.
At the suggestion of police, organizers canceled the official parade that was scheduled for Saturday afternoon. However, Reuters reports thousands of people still hit the streets for an unplanned event, shouting in English, "We're here, we're queer, we won't disappear."
The Coordinator for Strategic Communications for the National Security Council, John Kirby, released a statement Saturday, saying in part, "We're all horrified by the mass shooting in Oslo today targeting the LGBTQIA+ community there and our hearts obviously go out to the all the families of the victims, the people of Norway, which is a tremendous ally, and of course the LGBTQIA+ community there and around the world."
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