A man armed with a bow fired arrows at residents of a small Norwegian town on Wednesday, killing five people before he was arrested, according to authorities.
Although the motive behind the attack is not yet known, the suspect, a 37-year-old Danish citizen, is believed to have acted alone.
"The man who carried out the act has been arrested by the police, and there is no active search for more people. Based on the information we have, there is one person behind this," regional police chief Oeying Aas said, according to the Associated Press.
Suspect Started Shooting Inside a Supermarket
There were multiple crime scenes, according to authorities. The suspect reportedly started targeting shoppers at a local supermarket before heading out into the town and firing at strangers. Police arrested the man around 7:30 p.m. local time, about an hour after several people reported seeing someone with the weapon moving through the town, which is located 41 miles southwest of Oslo.
Aas said it took time for police to find the suspect and gather details on the situation. In the meantime, residents were ordered to take shelter indoors. Before taking the man into custody, he said a "confrontation" ensued with officers, but gave no further details. It has not yet been determined if the suspect used a crossbow.
Aas also did not rule out the possibility of had not ruled out the possibility of a terror attack. "From the course of events, it is natural to consider whether this is an act of terrorism," he said.
In addition to the five deaths, two other people, including an off-duty officer, were injured and taken to a hospital, according to the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, NRK.
Prime Minister Erna Solberg Described the Attack as 'Gruesome'
Speaking at a news conference in Oslo, the capital, Erna Solberg, the country's outgoing Prime Minister, described the developments in Kongsberg as "gruesome" and promised "all necessary resources" were being deployed.
"The perpetrator has carried out horrific acts against several people. It is a very dramatic situation that has hit Kongsberg society hard, and the events shake us all," she said.
More than a decade ago, on July 22nd, 2011, right-wing extremist Anders Breivik set off a bomb in the capital of Oslo, killing eight people. Then he headed to tiny Utoya Island, where he stalked the mostly teen members of the Labor Party's youth wing and killed another 69 victims. Breivik was sentenced to 21 years in prison, the maximum under Norwegian law.
