CRIME

Suspect in fatal Copenhagen mall shooting is remanded in psychiatric facility for 24 days, police say

Jul 4, 2022, 2:35 PM | Updated: Jul 26, 2022, 5:01 pm

(CNN) — A man arrested on suspicion of killing three people and wounding several others during a shooting at a shopping mall in Copenhagen is being remanded in a psychiatric facility for 24 days, Danish police said Monday.

The 22-year-old Danish man was known to psychiatric professionals, police said earlier.

The suspect was charged with manslaughter, Copenhagen Police tweeted. The court who heard the case on Monday has put a ban on naming both the suspect and 10 victims named in the charge, the force added in a series of tweets.

The shooting unfolded on Sunday at multiple locations inside Field’s, a shopping center in the Danish capital. Social media footage showed people running through the mall and heavily armed law enforcement officers on the scene.

At a press conference on Monday morning, Copenhagen’s Head of Police Soren Thomassen said two 17-year-old Danish citizens, one male and one female, and a 47-year-old Russian national had been killed in the gunfire.

Two other Danes and two Swedish nationals had received gunshot wounds and were in hospital in critical but stable condition, while several others sustained minor injuries while leaving the mall, Thomassen said.

In a statement on Monday, police said three people were lightly injured by stray bullets. A total of 27 people were wounded or injured in the attack, with 20 of them “lightly injured during the evacuation,” added the statement.

The man arrested in connection with the shooting is currently the only suspect. Thomassen said there is no indication the suspect was acting with others but an investigation was ongoing.

Earlier, the police had said they detained the suspect 13 minutes after receiving the first emergency call, and that he was “carrying a rifle and ammunition” at the time of his arrest.

At the news conference on Monday, Thomassen said there was no indication the attack was an “act of terror” nor motivated by gender, and police believe the victims were chosen at random. The suspect was “known to people in the psychiatric field,” he said.

 

Mass shootings are rare in Denmark

 

Gun violence is relatively rare in Denmark. Copenhagen’s last major shooting incident was in 2015, when a gunman attacked a free speech forum featuring controversial cartoonist Lars Vilks, killing one man and wounding three others.

As investigators piece together the circumstances that lead to Sunday’s deadly shooting, questions are being asked as to how the suspected gunman could have obtained the weapon and ammunition used in the attack, as Denmark is considered to have some of the most restrictive gun laws in Europe.

Whereas in the United States gun ownership is conditionally guaranteed by the US Constitution, in Denmark, the right to private gun ownership is not guaranteed by law, according to GunPolicy.org, an organization that tracks international firearm policy.

Through restrictive licensing, Danish authorities attempt to reduce firearm violence by substantially reducing the number of firearms in circulation. An applicant for a firearm license in Denmark must pass a background check which considers criminal and mental health, GunPolicy.org said.

Only licensed gun owners may lawfully acquire, possess or transfer a firearm or ammunition. Applicants for a gun owner’s license in Denmark are required to establish a genuine reason to possess a firearm, for example hunting, target shooting, collection, according to GunPolicy.org

Danish police on Monday confirmed the suspected shooter did not have a permit, according to Thomassen, the head of Copenhagen’s police force.

 

‘Run, run, run, they’re still shooting in there’

 

Eyewitness Joachim Olsen, a former Danish politician and athlete, told CNN that he was on his way to a gym inside Field’s when he saw large groups of people exiting the mall.

“It looked like something, I’m sorry to say, like something you would see from a school shooting in the US, people coming out with their hands above their heads,” Olsen said.

“You have people running out, looking for friends and calling friends and family members who were inside, some speaking to friends who were inside,” he said. “Old people with their arms around the necks of people carrying them out, their feet just being dragged across the floor.”

Outside the mall, Olsen spoke to a man who spoke to an off-duty paramedic whose arms “were covered in blood up to his elbows.”

“He wanted to go back in but the police wouldn’t let him,” Olsen said.

According to Olsen, security tried to get the crowds to move away from the mall.

“At one point we were rushed away. The police came and said ‘Run, run, run, they’re still shooting in there.'”

A spokesman for Rigshospitalet, Denmark’s largest hospital, told CNN that the hospital had taken in several victims and had called in extra staff to deal with the emergency.

A phone line for victims has been opened and police said they have set up a central location where eyewitnesses can get support and report their experiences to law enforcement officials.

Danish police said Sunday they had evacuated thousands from the Royal Arena venue next to the mall. The arena had been scheduled to hold a Harry Styles concert, but this was canceled following the shooting.

In a statement Sunday night, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sent sympathy to the wounded, their relatives and the bereaved, as well as “all the Danes who were close to these frightening events.”

“We have all been brutally ripped from the bright summer that had just begun. It is incomprehensible. Heartbreaking. Meaningless. Our beautiful and usually so safe capital was changed in a split second,” Frederiksen said.

In a statement, Denmark’s Royal House said, “Our thoughts and deepest sympathy are with the victims, their relatives and all those affected by the tragedy.”

The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, also expressed solidarity with the people of Denmark.

“Thinking of everyone in #Copenhagen tonight after horrific reports of several people killed in a shooting in a shopping mall. We are with you Denmark,” she tweeted.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

KSL 5 TV Live

Top Stories

Crime

West Valley City police car...
Brooke Williams and Shelby Lofton, KSL TV

Shots fired during armed robbery at indoor swap meet, grazing employee

Shots were fired Saturday evening at an indoor swap meet.
3 days ago
Salt Lake County sheriff's deputy Joel Baker, 33, died Nov. 12 when a cement truck heading south on...
Pat Reavy

Cement truck driver charged with manslaughter in death of sheriff’s deputy

A cement truck driver who police say ran two red lights in November and crashed into a Salt Lake County Sheriff's deputy on his way to work, killing him, has been criminally charged.
4 days ago
West Valley City police car...
Cary Schwanitz

Man in custody after firing shots, police chase in West Valley City

One man was arrested Friday after firing shots in West Valley City and leading police on a chase.
4 days ago
FILE...
Pat Reavy

Polygamous leader made sexually explicit calls from jail to child wives, prosecutors say

Jailhouse communication privileges for a self-proclaimed prophet from Colorado City have been reduced after prosecutors say he made calls to intimidate a witness and engage in sexually explicit conversations with teen girls.
4 days ago
A man shot himself when police arrived to serve a search warrant in an investigation involving chil...
Brooke Williams

Police: Grantsville man shot himself upon police serving search warrant

A man shot himself when police arrived to serve a search warrant in an investigation involving child sexual abuse material.
4 days ago
Police investigate at Denver's East High School after a shooting there on Wednesday, March 22, 2023...
Elizabeth Wolfe and Andy Rose

Denver public schools close for mental health day after shooting, as armed guards prepare a return to campuses

Denver Public Schools are closed Friday after a shooting at a high school this week, and the district is taking steps to bring back armed guards to campuses, officials say.
4 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Stack of old laptops with dark background...
PC Laptops

Old Laptop Upgrades You Need to Try Before Throwing it Away

Get the most out of your investment. Try these old laptop upgrades before throwing it out to keep it running fast and efficient.
Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...
BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.
Close up of an offset printing machine during production...
Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.
vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...
Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.
Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...
Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.
notebook with password notes highlighted...
PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.
Suspect in fatal Copenhagen mall shooting is remanded in psychiatric facility for 24 days, police say