Denmark on edge: 1 dead, 6 injured as second shooting within hours rocks capital

A gunman opened fire on a Copenhagen cultural center, killing one man and wounding three police officers in what authorities called a terror attack against a free speech event featuring an artist who had caricatured the Prophet Muhammad. After searching for the gunman for hours, police reported another shooting near a synagogue in downtown Copenhagen after midnight Sunday. One person was shot in the head and two police officers were shot in the arms and legs, police said, adding it wasn’t clear whether the two incidents were linked. The gunman fled on foot, and police warned people to be vigilant and follow the instructions of officers flooding the city center. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the first shooting, which took place shortly before 4 p.m. on Saturday

They fired on us from the outside. It was the same intention as (the January 7 attack on) Charlie Hebdo except they didn’t manage to get in.

Francois Zimeray, French amassador to Denmark, who was also present

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the first shooting, which took place shortly before 4 p.m. on Saturday. Danish police said the gunman used an automatic weapon to shoot through the windows of the Krudttoenden cultural center, which TV footage showed were riddled with bullet holes. The gunman then fled in a carjacked Volkswagen Polo that was later found a few kilometers away, police said. Two of the wounded officers belonged to the Danish security service PET, which said the circumstances surrounding the shooting “indicate that we are talking about a terror attack.” Lars Vilks, a Swedish artist who has faced numerous death threats for caricaturing the Prophet Muhammad, was one of the main speakers at Saturday’s panel discussion. He was unharmed.

At first there was panic. People crawled down under tables. My bodyguards quickly pulled me away.

Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who believes he was the target of the attack

Europe denmark