The annual Pride parade in Oslo was canceled on Saturday after a fatal shooting at a gay bar being investigated by Norwegian police as a terrorist attack.
Two people have been killed and eight others hospitalized after a shooting near a London park, which has described itself on its website as “the largest gay and lesbian venue in Oslo.”
Police received several calls about the shooting at about 1:14 a.m. local time, and arrived a few minutes later. Police said they arrested the suspect three minutes after their arrival.
The suspect, a terror suspect, is a Norwegian national of Iranian descent, and “known to the police,” but has received “minor convictions” so far, according to prosecutor Christian Hatlo told reporters in Oslo on Saturday.
The Norwegian Interior Ministry says it is trying to determine whether some acts of violence could be planned after the shooting. The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) announced in a message posted on its Twitter account on Saturday that it had been notified of the shooting in Oslo on Saturday.
“We are now contributing all the relevant information we have to the Oslo Police District and we are working to determine whether further acts of violence can be planned. At the moment we have no indication of this,” he said. PST.
Hatlo said police have charged the suspect with “murder, attempted murder and acts of terrorism.”
He said the terrorism offense was based on the fact that the number of injured and dead, the number of crime scenes and the “total number” indicated that the accused intended to cause a great deal of fear in the community. .
During the press conference, police attempted to question the suspect but were still unsuccessful, Hatlo said. The suspect was taken to the police station, and police told CNN that there were currently no more suspects.
In response to the allegations, Hatlo said authorities will see “what the investigation shows.”
Police said the suspect was carrying two firearms during the shooting. They have not confirmed the weapon he used because of the ongoing investigation.
There were casualties on the ground inside and outside the bar when police arrived on the scene. “The situation was chaotic, it was evening and a lot of people were outside, so there were people running everywhere,” police told CNN.
Of the eight people hospitalized, three are in critical condition. Fourteen other victims suffered minor injuries.
In a statement posted on Facebook after the shooting, Radio London condemned the incident as “ugly and utterly evil.” Bar said all her staff were in good health, and offered condolences to the victims and their families.
Oslo’s annual Pride parade, scheduled for Saturday, was canceled as a result of a shooting after “police consultations.”
In a post on Facebook, the organizers of the competition asked everyone not to attend and said all things related to pride were also canceled.
“We will follow the advice of the police and take care of each other. The warmth and love goes to the relatives, the injured and the other victims, ”said Oslo Pride president Inger Kristin Haugsevje and Inge Alexander Gjestvang, president of the Gender Equality Association. cooperation.
“Soon we will be proud and we will reappear, but today we will manage to share the pride from home.”
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre also offered his condolences to the victims, saying the shooting “was a horrific attack on people who had not heard or seen it.”
Støre later called for unity and said that “although we do not know whether the desired environment is the target, the situation is regardless of the victim.”
“On this day, June 25, we will celebrate Valentine’s Day, fill the streets in rainbow colors, and showcase our community and our rights. Instead, we are filled with grief, ”he said. “It simply came to our notice then. We are a nation, we are a diverse and strong nation, and we will never be threatened or deprived of our values. “
He reiterated that the perpetrator was “of an Islamic nature” but stressed that “if this is Islamic terrorism, as the PST (Police Security Council) points out, then many Muslims will They are injured today and in the future. And I know that many of the Muslims in our country are also in a state of panic. you did not attack. ”
The White House said it was shocked by the killings. “We are all terrified of the shootings that took place in Oslo today, against the LGBTQI + community there. , “John Kirby, communications director of the NSC, told reporters aboard Air Force One as President Biden flew in. Europe.
He said the United States had contacted the Norwegian government to offer condolences and provide any assistance they needed after the shooting.
CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
