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OSLO

Two killed in Oslo ‘terror attack’: What we know so far

Two people were killed and 21 others wounded in shootings at several bars in central Oslo in the early hours of Saturday in an incident described by police as a "terrorist attack". Here's what's known about what happened, the suspect and possible motive. 

Published: 25 June 2022 10:05 CEST
A file photo of a police officer in Norway
Two people have died and 21 were injured in a shooting in Oslo last night. Pictured: A file photo of a Norwegian police officer outside the Nobel Institute. Photo by Tobias Schwarz / AFP

What happened? 

A shooting took place at around 1:00 am local time in three locations, including a gay bar in central Oslo.

Police received the first reports at 1:14 am, and the suspect was arrested five minutes later, he said.

The shootings happened near the London Pub gay club, the Herr Nilsen jazz club and a takeaway food outlet.

“He looked very determined about where he was aiming. When I realised it was serious, I ran. There was a bleeding man lying on the ground,” a woman who saw the incident told the Verdens Gang newspaper.

According to an NRK radio journalist present at the time of the shooting, the shooter arrived with a bag from which he pulled out a weapon and started firing.

21 people were injured in the attack. Ten received serious injuries, while 11 people received slight wounds. 

“Some are described as seriously injured, others as more lightly injured,” police official Tore Barstad said. 

READ ALSO: Two killed and 21 wounded in Oslo bar ‘terror attack’

Was it a terrorist attack? 

Police have said in a statement that the shootings are being investigated as a terrorist attack. 

“There is reason to think that this is about hate crime. That is one of the hypotheses,” Christian Hatlo, a prosecutor for the police, said at a press conference on Saturday morning. 

NRK reports that the man is not cooperating with police but that his home has been searched. 

Two weapons were seized from the suspect, an automatic weapon and a handgun. 

What do we know about the suspect?

The shooter’s name has not yet been released. However, the man, 42, has been charged with murder, attempted murder and terrorism, police said in a press conference on Saturday morning. 

According to the police, the man is a Norwegian citizen of Iranian origin. The suspect is believed to have acted alone. 

“Now everything indicates that there was only one person who committed this act,” police official Tore Barstad earlier told a press briefing.

The man was known to domestic intelligence services and had had brushes with the law for minor infractions like knife and drug possession, police told a press conference, without naming the suspect.

PST, which handles counter-terrorism in Norway, said that it would hand over any information it had on the suspect to police. 

“We now contribute all relevant information we have to Oslo PD, and work to clarify whether more acts of violence may be planned. So far, we have no indications of that,” PST said on Twitter. 

“Cruel and deeply shocking”

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has described the attack as “a cruel and deeply shocking”.

“My thoughts go to the victims and their relatives. We do not yet know what was behind this terrible act, but to the members of the LGBT community who are now scared and in grief, I want to say that we are all with you in this,” Støre said in a brief statement to newswire NTB.

The London Pub, the location for one of the shootings, said the attack was “pure evil” in a post on its Facebook page. 

Former PM Erna Solberg called the shooting an “attack on love”. 

“The shots outside the London Pub in Oslo are an attack on love. It is an attack on the freedom to love whoever you want,” she said in a statement. 

Oslo pride cancelled

The Pride march that was due to take place in Norway’s capital Oslo on Saturday afternoon has been called off. 

“All events linked to Oslo Pride have been cancelled” following “clear” recommendations by police, the march’s organisers wrote on Facebook.

Organisers of the event have asked people who planned to participate in Oslo Pride Festival not to show up. 

A statement from Oslo Pride on Facebook in light of last night’s shooting.

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OSLO

Potential bankruptcy threatens bus services in Oslo 

The strained finances of bus provider Unibuss could cause chaos for Oslo’s bus network if the company folds. 

Published: 24 April 2024 12:08 CEST
Potential bankruptcy threatens bus services in Oslo 

Unibuss, which is wholly owned by Oslo Municipality, is in danger of going bust due to large losses, unpaid bills, and fines from public transport firm Ruter for issues with its electric bus fleet this winter. 

Oslo City Council will hold an emergency meeting headed up by transport councilor Marit Vea on Wednesday, where she will be grilled on how the council will avert a collapse in the city’s public transport network should Unibuss go bankrupt. 

Unibuss is comprised of four smaller companies that operate bus routes in Oslo on behalf of Ruter. The company has just over 370 buses in operation and covers around 60 to 70 percent of the routes in Oslo and the neighboring municipality of Bærum. 

Oslo’s fleet of electric busses struggled especially with snow and cold temperatures this winter, which caused frequent chaos across the capital’s public transport network. 

Snow, ice, range and charging issues for the busses lead to vehicle shortages which caused mass delays and cancellations several times over the winter. 

Ruter, which is also part owned by Oslo municipality, believes that the financial problems facing Unibuss mean the company could be forced to file for bankruptcy or undergo a major restructuring, according to a memo obtained by publication Teknisk Ukeblad.  

It has previously told public broadcaster that it was working on a plan in case Unibuss goes bankrupt. 

“There is no doubt that the first days of such a scenario will be very demanding for the residents of Oslo and parts of Akershus,” Ruter’s communications director Elisabeth Skarsbø Moen told public broadcaster NRK.  

“First and foremost, we are working to find a solution together with Unibuss that does not affect Ruter’s customers,” she said. 

“But as those responsible for public transport, we have both a plan and an emergency organization ready to also handle a bankruptcy,” Skarsbø Moen added. 

Should Unibuss go bankrupt, its buses would become part of the bankruptcy estate and if such an event were to occur while passengers were in transit, all passengers would need to disembark at the next stop so the buses can be transported to the depot. 

Ruter said it had an eye on the market to try and see what could be available in terms of extra buses and equipment. 

It said that its priority would be to ensure that school transport, and that healthcare workers could get to work, in the event of a sudden lack of buses. 

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