2015 Copenhagen shootings
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
On 14–15 February 2015, three separate shootings occurred in Copenhagen, Denmark. In total, two victims and the perpetrator were killed, while five police officers were wounded.
The first shooting took place on 14 February at a small public afternoon event called "Art, Blasphemy and Freedom of Expression" at the Krudttønden cultural centre, where an armed gunman killed one civilian and wounded three police officers. 30 to 40 persons attended the event, among which the Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who was among the key speakers as well as François Zimeray, Ambassador of France in Denmark, who opened the seminar with his speech just before the attack took place. Lars Vilks is often described as the main target because of his drawings of Muhammad. The second shooting took place later that night (after midnight, and, therefore, on the 15th), outside the city's Great Synagogue in Krystalgade. A gunman killed a young Jewish man on security duty during a bat mitzvah celebration, and wounded two police officers. Later that morning near Nørrebro station, police tracking the suspect shot and killed a man, after he opened fire on them while he attempted to enter a residential building under police surveillance. The man was identified as Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein, who police said was responsible for both attacks.
See also
- 1985 Copenhagen bombings by Hezbollah
- 2010 Copenhagen terror plot
- Contemporary antisemitism in Denmark
- Curtis Culwell Center attack
- Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
- Kurt Westergaard—Danish cartoonist targeted in an attack in 2010
- Lars Hedegaard—Danish author targeted in an attack in 2013
- Terrorism in the European Union
