Gunfire at Oslo LGBTQ+ Festival: 2 Dead, 21 Injured... "Extremist Islamic Terror"

PST "Suspect is a member of an Islamist extremist network"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] The Norwegian intelligence agency, the Police Security Service (PST), announced on the 25th (local time) that the shooting incident that occurred in Oslo at dawn is being treated as an "Islamic terrorism act," according to AFP and AP news agencies.

According to AP News, PST Director Roger Berg stated at a press conference that day, "This attack is an act of extremist Islamic terrorism," adding, "The perpetrator has been involved in violence and threats for a long time and also has mental health issues."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

After the shooting incident, PST raised the terror alert level from 'normal' to 'highest level.'

As a result of the shooting incident in downtown Oslo, 2 people have died and 21 have been injured so far.

The incident occurred ahead of the Pride parade, a scheduled LGBTQ+ festival in Oslo that day. Due to the shooting, the LGBTQ+ festival planned to be held in Oslo was canceled.

The location of the incident, 'London Pub,' is known as a nightclub and gay bar. The suspect is a 42-year-old Iranian-Norwegian who was arrested by the police immediately after the shooting. The police stated that there appear to be no accomplices.

PST first put the suspect under surveillance in 2015 and later expressed concern that he had become radicalized and joined an extremist Islamic network.

Norwegian media reported that the suspect's name is Zaniar Matapour, who is of Iranian Kurdish descent and immigrated to Norway with his family in the 1990s.

Matapour's lawyer Elden said, "He is not speaking about the incident," and explained, "It is too early to determine whether this is a hate crime or terrorism."