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Cartoonists are once again the focus of an armed attack that took place in Denmark where a gunman killed one person and injured three more at a free speech assembly entitled “Art, Blasphemy and Freedom of Expression.”
One of the people present at the meeting was Lars Vilks, a controversial Swedish cartoonist who has been faced with numerous death threats due to his caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. French ambassador, Francois Zimeraywas also present at the event. Both of them were unhurt. Zimeray posted a message on Twitter right after the shooting, announcing that he was alive and well.
Many, including Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the Danish Prime Minister believe this was a “politically motivated act of terrorism.”
At first, police believed there were two gunmen but later announced that they were on the lookout for a single suspect, a young man of apparent Arab ethnicity. Photos of the gunman were revealed. The attacker was shown wearing a purple cap and a scarf. He was carrying something with him, which later turned out to a gun machine.
Several dozen shots were heard at the café where the event was held. Vilks told the Associated Press news agency that he believed the attacker was aiming for him.
This wouldn’t be the first time attackers targeted the cartoonist. He is known for his controversial imagery, one of them being a picture of the Prophet Muhammad dressed as a dog. He received many threats and in 2010, two brothers tried to set fire to his house located in the South of Sweden. The perpetrators were identified and arrested. They were imprisoned for attempted arson.
During the current attack, one person was killed and three more (all of them police officers) were injured. An eyewitness described how people panicked and headed towards the exit. Some were “hiding between or behind the tables and chairs, and some people were running out into the street.”
Danish investigator Joergen Skov stated that police found the suspect in Copenhagen, in the Noerrebro district.
The suspect was returning to a location that was under police surveillance at about 5 a.m. Officers attempted to talk to him but the suspect immediately started shooting at them. Officers were constrained to shoot back, killing the man.
Image Source: WND
