Copenhagen: Three killed in a shooting at a shopping mall in Denmark

Three people have been killed in a shooting at a shopping mall in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, and police have arrested the attacker.

Police say terrorism cannot be ruled out in the incident.

The condition of three of the injured in the incident is said to be critical.

Copenhagen Police Chief Soren Thompson said a 22-year-old man had been arrested in connection with the attack and that, according to initial reports, although the motive was not clear, it could be a “terrorist act”.

The bomber struck shortly after noon in front of a crowded shopping mall in Denmark.

Fields Mall has a total of 140 shops and restaurants on the outskirts of the capital. It is close to the subway line that connects it to the city center.

Footage on social media shows the scene of a stampede and panic.

“I heard gunshots 10 times, we ran as fast as we could,” Isabella, a woman in the shopping mall, told AFP, quoting a local TV channel. , Ran and took refuge in the toilet.

“We hid in this shopping mall for two hours,” she says.

Another eyewitness told local TV: “We heard gunshots from the other side, two or three shots would have been fired and then people started running outside in fear. We hid there. ‘

An eyewitness, Reiki Leondo Soski, told TV2 that she hid behind a shop counter when she heard gunshots.

“At first people thought it was a thief, but when the shots started coming, I hid behind a counter inside the store,” she said.

She added that the attacker was firing directly at people. “He was not firing at the floor or the ceiling.”

Less than a mile away is the Royal Arena, which can accommodate up to 17,000 people at a time. The concert of British singer Harry Styles, which will start at the same place soon, has been postponed. A large number of people were also present at the time of the incident.

The Copenhagen police chief says the condition of the three men is critical.

Police arrested the alleged assailant, who had a rifle and other firearms.

Copenhagen Police Chief Soren Thomason said the attacker would be arraigned in court on Monday for questioning.

The Danish royal family also canceled a reception hosted by Crown Prince Frederick. Authorities are condemning the incident and expressing sympathy for the victims.

In Denmark, a cultural center and a place of worship were targeted in Copenhagen in 2015.