Mass shooting in Oslo leaves 2 dead, 10 wounded; Incident being investigated as an act of terrorism
Tragically proving mass violence is not just an American problem, two people were shot dead and at least 10 wounded, some gravely, at the London Pub a popular gay bar located in Oslo's nightlife district. The mass shooting occurred close vicinity to other taverns and restaurants in Norway's capital city.
As the gunman went on his rampage, an estimated 80 to 100 terrified employees and patrons hid in a basement. The incident occurred about 1:00 am on Saturday, June 25, 2022 when Oslo was hosting its annual weeklong Gay Pride event. A parade scheduled to begin hours after the tragedy was cancelled.
Photo credit: https://www.cbs17.com/news/international-news/norway-terror-alert-raised-after-deadly-mass-shooting/
Authorities say the suspect, a Norwegian citizen, was taken into custody. Christian Hatlo, a lawyer representing law enforcement, stated the suspect was being held on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and terrorism, based on the number of people targeted at multiple locations.
"Our overall assessment is that there are grounds to believe that he wanted to cause grave fear in the population," Hatlo explained.
Although such mass violence is rare in Norway, it is not without precedent.
On July 22, 2011, 77 people were murdered, including at a Workers' Youth League summer camp, in Oslo and Utoya in an event referred to as the "2011 Norway Attacks." Those events were regarded as domestic terrorism.