Denmark: Police speak of three fatalities after shots in Copenhagen shopping center

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Use at Field's shopping center in Copenhagen

Photo: Olafur Steinar Gestsson / dpa

At least three people have been shot dead in a shopping center in Copenhagen.

Police chief inspector Søren Thomassen said on Monday night.

The victims are a man between 40 and 50 years old and two young people, a man and a woman.

Several other people were reportedly injured.

According to Thomassen, three of them are in critical condition.

A spokesman for Rigshospitalet hospital said a "small group of patients" had been admitted.

Additional staff have been requested for treatment.

In the hours before, the authorities had not given any concrete information on the number of dead and injured.

The police arrested a 22-year-old Dane in connection with the crime in the shopping center.

The suspected shooter was “basically known” to the police, said Thomassen.

But it is not about a person “whom we know particularly well”.

He did not provide any further information on this.

Thomassen was also silent on the possible motive.

There is speculation about a racist background on social media, he said.

There is currently no evidence for this.

Police believe the perpetrator acted alone.

But: "Until we are absolutely certain that the hypothesis is correct, we will conduct a wide-ranging investigation and maintain a massive operational presence in Copenhagen," said Thomassen.

The man had a gun and ammunition with him when he was arrested.

Another weapon may have been involved.

Details are not known.

The suspect is due to appear in court on Monday.

He was charged with manslaughter, it said.

But the allegation could still change.

The police initially did not want to say whether the man legally owned the gun.

Danish Prime Minister: "We were all brutally torn from the bright summer"

The Danish royal family called for cohesion.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen condemned the act as a "cruel attack": "We were all brutally torn from the bright summer that we had just begun," she said.

"It is incomprehensible.

heartbreaking.

useless.

Our beautiful and otherwise so safe capital was changed in a fraction of a second.«

Field's shopping center is located in the relatively new district of Ørestad in the south of Copenhagen, between the city center and the airport.

The police were alerted around 5:30 p.m.

Emergency services cordoned off the entire island of Zealand, on which the Danish capital is located.

Several roads and highway exits were closed.

In order to have more forces available to investigate the crime, soldiers took over guard duties from the police.

The authorities set up a place where eyewitnesses could give their testimony and receive psychological support.

In the vicinity of the shopping center there is also a large multi-purpose hall, the Royal Arena.

A sold-out concert by British singer Harry Styles was planned there on Sunday.

It was canceled at short notice.

aar/dpa/AFP