A gunman opened fire in a Copenhagen shopping centre, one of the largest of its kind in Scandinavia, killing several people and wounding a number of others on Sunday, police said.
The suspected gunman, who is in custody, is a 22-year-old Danish man who was detained near the Fields shopping centre on the southern outskirts of the capital, said police inspector Soren Thomassen, head of the Copenhagen police operations unit.
“We know that there are several dead” and “several injured,” Mr Thomassen told a news conference, adding that terror cannot be ruled out.
“We do not have information that others are involved. This is what we know now.”
He did not provide any further details on the victims or suspect, or say how many people were killed or wounded. The shopping centre is on the outskirts of Copenhagen just across from a subway line that connects the city with the international airport.
A major highway also runs adjacent to Fields, which opened in 2004.
Images from the scene showed people running out of the mall, and Denmark’s TV2 broadcaster posted a photo of a man being put on a stretcher.
Witnesses said people were crying and hid in shops.
Laurits Hermansen told Danish broadcaster DR that he was in a clothing store at the shopping centre with his family when he heard “three-four bangs. Really loud bangs. It sounded like the shots were being fired just next to the store.”
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.”
Police said they were first alerted to the shooting at 5:36pm local time. A huge presence of heavily-armed police officers arrived at the scene, with several fire department vehicles also parked outside the mall.
“One person has been arrested in connection with the shooting at Fields. We currently are not able to say more about the person concerned,” Copenhagen police tweeted.
“We have a massive presence at Fields and are working on getting an overview.”
Danish media reported that a Harry Styles concert, scheduled at the nearby Royal Arena, was called off.
On Snapchat, Styles wrote: “My team and I pray for everyone involved in the Copenhagen shopping mall shooting. I am shocked. Love H.”
Shortly after the shooting, the royal palace said a reception with Crown Prince Frederik connected to the Tour de France cycling race had been cancelled.
The first three stages of the race were held in Denmark this year, the palace said in a statement. The reception was due to be held on the royal yacht that is moored in Soenderborg, the town where the third stage ended.
