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Man identified by police as suspect behind Danish shootings had 'violent history'

A 22-year-old with a history of violence and criminal gang involvement has been identified by pol...
Newstalk
Newstalk

19.08 15 Feb 2015


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Man identified by police as su...

Man identified by police as suspect behind Danish shootings had 'violent history'

Newstalk
Newstalk

19.08 15 Feb 2015


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A 22-year-old with a history of violence and criminal gang involvement has been identified by police as the suspect behind two deadly shootings in Denmark.

Danish media named the suspect as Omar El-Hussein, a man police say was born in Denmark and had a criminal record which included convictions for violence and weapons offences.

Police said he was shot dead near a Copenhagen train station after he opened fire on them.

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They said CCTV indicated he was responsible for an attack at a cafe on Saturday afternoon and another deadly assault two miles away at the city's main synagogue.

Police believe he was inspired by last month's Paris shootings, where Islamist gunmen targeted the offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and a kosher supermarket.

Investigators said there was nothing to suggest at present that other gunmen were involved in the shootings that left two people dead and five police officers wounded. They also said they did not believe the gunman had been to overseas jihadist training camps.

The attack at the synagogue in Krystalgade just after midnight Irish time saw one man killed after being shot in the head and two policemen also shot, one in the arm and the other in the leg.

Armed Danish police also raided an internet cafe near where officers killed the suspected gunman, taking at least two people away, according to Danish media.

The victim has been named as 37-year-old Jewish man Dan Uzan, who was guarding a building behind the synagogue.

A major manhunt had earlier been launched after one man was killed and three police officers injured when a gunman opened fire at a cafe where a meeting on free speech was taking place.

The seminar, which was targeted just before 3pm Irish time on Saturday, was attended by Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who has been threatened with death for his cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. He was not harmed, but 55-year-old documentary film maker Finn Noergaard died.

Around 30 bullet holes were seen in the windows of the venue in the north of the city.

Witnesses said police returned fire at the gunman.

Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt described that assault as "a terrorist attack", while the United States called it "deplorable".


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