Police say no indication Copenhagen shooting was an act of terror

Gunman who killed three and critically wounded four at Copenhagen mall had mental health issues and posted videos saying his medication ‘does not work’: Police say shooting was not terror as chilling footage of attack emerges

• Three dead and four in critical after mass shooting at mall in Danish capital of Copenhagen at 5.35pm Sunday 
• 22-year-old arrested as police say he has mental health issues and there is no indication attack was terror 
• Dead are a 47-year-old Russian man living in Denmark and two 17-year-old Danes, one male and one female 
• Injured are two Danish women – 40 and 19 – and two Swedes – a man aged 50, and a 16-year-old woman 

A gunman who opened fire inside a Danish shopping mall on Sunday – killing three and critically wounding four – has mental health issues and there is no indication the attack was an act of terror, police have said this morning. 

The shooter, a 22-year-old ethnic Dane, shot three people dead with a rifle inside Field’s mall in Copenhagen in a rampage that began at 5.35pm Sunday and lasted for 13 terrifying minutes before he was arrested.

The victims are a 47-year-old Russian national who had been living in Demark and two Danish 17-year-olds – one male and one female, police revealed today.

Four more people are now in critical condition in hospital: Two Danes – both women, one aged 40 and another aged 19 – and two Swedish citizens – a man aged 50 and a woman aged 16. Investigators say it appears the victims were chosen at random and the attacker acted alone. He is due in court later today.

The man had posted videos on social media before the attack in which he posed with rifles, put a gun to his head, and talked about being on psychiatric medication that ‘does not work’. Police believe the videos are genuine.

Investigators spoke out after footage emerged showing the gunman – dressed in a dark vest, shorts and boots – strolling casually through the mall and carrying what appears to be a hunting rifle.

Walking across what seems to be an upper floor balcony, the man stops for a few seconds directly in front of whoever is filming him: Checking the chamber before slinging the rifle over his shoulder.

After a few moments, the man takes the rifle off of his shoulder and begins walking away to the right of the frame before breaking into a jog. The footage then cuts out.

A 22-year-old ethnic Dane has been arrested after walking into a shopping mall in Copenhagen on Sunday and opening fire on crowds of shoppers, killing three and leaving four critically wounded 

Police say the man has mental health issues and there is no indication the shooting was an act of terror, saying his victims were chosen at random 

The suspect was arrested at 5.48pm local time, 13 minutes after the attack began, and is now in police custody. He was due to appear in court on Monday 

Police say the dead are a 47-year-old Russian man who had been living in Denmark and two 17-year-old Danes, one male and one female (pictured, officers at the mall) 

Young woman flee the scene of a shooting in Copenhagen which left four people critically injured: Two Danish women, aged 40 and 19, and two Swedes, a 60-year-old man and 16-year-old girl 

Emergency services haul what appear to be dead bodies out of the shopping centre on stretchers after the suspected shooter was detained by armed police

Emergency personnel arrive at Fields shopping centre following a shooting and erect covers to shield the scene of the massacre

This clip posted on social media appears to show the gunman taking aim as he walked down a flight of stairs outside the mall

A woman flees the Field’s shopping centre during evacuation by armed police, in Oerstad, Copenhagen, Denmark, 03 July 2022, amid gunfire

Crying civilians are seen running from the scene of a shooting which has left several injured according to Danish police

Danish police say multiple people were hit by gunfire (worried civilians pictured after being evacuated)

‘Denmark was hit by a cruel attack on Sunday night. Several were killed. Even more wounded. Innocent families shopping or eating out. Children, adolescents and adults,’ Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement late on Sunday.

‘Our beautiful and usually so safe capital was changed in a split second,’ she said. ‘I want to encourage the Danes to stand together and support each other in this difficult time.’

British singer Harry Styles was due to perform at 8pm local team (6pm BST) at the Royal Arena, a concert venue just 500 yards away from the scene of the shooting. 

The popstar and former One Direction bandmember posted on social media: ‘My team and I pray for everyone involved in the Copenhagen shopping mall shooting. I am shocked. Love H.’ 

Shortly after the shooting the organiser announced the concert would ‘proceed as planned,’ but later declared its cancellation, following criticism. 

Local media published images showing heavily armed police officers at the scene, as well as people running out of the shopping centre.

Meanwhile, shocking mobile phone footage posted on social media appeared to show the moment shots rang out, sending people sprinting for the exits as screams were heard. 

Danish broadcaster TV2 published images of a man being loaded onto a stretcher by emergency services outside the shopping centre, while eyewitnesses said people were crying in shock.

Other civilians said shoppers attempted to hide in shops to avoid being caught in the gunfire. 

One shopper told Danish broadcaster DR that he was in a clothing store with his family when he heard ‘three to four bangs. Really loud bangs. It sounded like the shots were being fired just next to the store’.

A huge police presence was on hand, with several fire department vehicles and ambulances parked outside the shopping centre along with police vans. 

Police reinforcements were deployed around the perimeter of the retail complex, advising people inside the mall to stay put and await police assistance in the aftermath of the shooting. 

Police also asked witnesses to get in touch with them and called on those who had been visiting the shopping mall to contact loved ones to reassure them.

The capital’s main hospital, Rigshospitalet, had received a ‘small group of patients’ for treatment, a spokesperson said, and had called in extra doctors and nurses.

Danish tabloid BT published unverified video footage it said was shot by a witness to the attack, Mahdi Al-wazni, showing a man with a large rifle walking through the mall and swinging it around his shoulders.

‘He seemed very aggressive and shouted different things,’ Al-wazni told BT. 

A bystander named Isabella told public broadcaster DR: ‘All of a sudden we heard gunshots, I heard 10 shots, and we ran as far as we could to take refuge in the toilet.’ 

She said she had hidden in the mall for two hours.

Other witnesses described the gunman as a man around 1.8 metres tall carrying a hunting rifle.

At around 7:30pm (5:30pm BST), roads around the mall were blocked, the subway was stopped and a helicopter was flying above, said an AFP correspondent at the scene.

Heavily armed police officer kept onlookers back prevented locals from returning to their homes.

Copenhagen police earlier wrote on Twitter: ‘We’re on the scene, shots were fired and several people have been hit.’ 

Members of the emergency services bring stretchers at the scene of the Field’s shopping centre in Copenhagen

Social media footage showed the scene outside of the shopping centre in the immediate aftermath of the shooting

Police and emergency services at the Field’s shopping centre after a shooting, in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, July 3, 2022

Gunfire in a Copenhagen mall left several victims on Sunday, Danish police said. Civilians are pictured having been evacuated from the shopping centre

Distressed shoppers react after being evacuated from Field’s shopping centre in Copenhagen following a shooting

People are seen running during the evacuation of the Field’s shopping center in Copenhagen, Denmark, on July 3, 2022 after Danish media reported a shooting

Copenhagen Mayor Sophie H Andersen tweeted: ‘Terrible reports of shooting in Fields. We do not yet know for sure how many were injured or dead, but it is very serious.’ 

Fans preparing to visit the nearby Royal Arena for Styles’ concert also told of their disbelief and horror at the attack.

Hans Christian Stoltz, 53, who was taking his daughters to the concert said: ‘My oldest daughter who is 18, she is barely holding it together. 

‘My other daughter, she got in the stampede that started when the perpetrator fired shots everywhere. Apparently, she got cut in several places as well from the people and falling over chairs. Awful.’

Stoltz’ daughter Cassandra, 18, said: ‘We didn’t know what to do, so we ran. People were guiding us towards the exit sign and we ran up to the roof and we were stuck there for a while and people were panicking all over the place and people were crying.’

The shopping centre is on the outskirts of Copenhagen just across from a subway line that connects the city centre with the international airport. 

A major highway also runs adjacent to Field’s, which opened in 2004. 

Shortly after the shooting, the royal palace said a reception with Crown Prince Frederik connected to the Tour de France cycling race had been canceled. 

The first three stages of the race were held in Denmark this year, the palace said in a statement. 

A reception was due to be held on the royal yacht that is moored in Soenderborg, the town where the third stage ended. 

The attack occurred two days after this year’s Tour de France took off from Copenhagen, and the Tour organisers released a statement expressing their sympathy.

‘The entire caravan of the Tour de France sends its sincerest condolences to the victims and their families,’ it said.

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