A Danish man who killed five and injured two in a bow-and-arrow attack in the Norwegian town of Kongsberg on Wednesday had converted to Islam and was known to police, according to the country’s law enforcement.
Speaking on Thursday, Norwegian regional police chief Ole Bredrup Saeverud said that a 37-year-old Danish citizen who has been detained after a bow-and-arrow attack in Kongsberg on Wednesday was known to police.
Saeverud told a news conference that the suspect had converted to Islam and police intelligence had identified signs of radicalization. His apparent radicalization had been noted as a concern prior to the attack.
The Muslim convert, who is believed to have acted alone, is being held in connection with the murder of five people, in which two more town residents, including an off-duty officer, were injured.
Police attorney Ann Irén Svane Mathiassen told local media that the 37-year-old had been known to police for “several different issues” and had been “in contact with… the health service several times.”
Saeverud confirmed that the suspect has been cooperative but could not divulge what had been discussed.
After the incident on Wednesday evening, police said they would investigate whether the incident was related to terrorism.
The Danish citizen had rampaged around Kongsberg, a mining town southwest of Oslo with a population of around 26,000. According to local media, the attack started in a supermarket.
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