- Title: DENMARK-SHOOTING/COPENHAGEN MORNING Danes express sadness over weekend shootings
- Date: 16th February 2015
- Summary: COPENHAGEN, DENMARK (FEBRUARY 16, 2015) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF SYNAGOGUE WITH FLOWERS ON GROUND CANDLES VARIOUS OF CARDBOARD BOX WITH THE NAME OF MAN KILLED IN SHOOTING "DAN" CANDLES AND FLOWERS WOMAN KNEELING NEXT TO FLOWERS BASKETBALL WITH CANDLES DANISH AND ISRAELI FLAG NEWSPAPER STAND HEADLINE READING (Danish): 'TICKING BOMB' ANOTHER HEADLINE READING (Danish): 'JOURNEY TOWARDS THE BLOODY MADNESS' NEWSPAPERS PEOPLE IN TRAIN STATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) COMMUTER, NINI JESPERSEN, SAYING: "I feel very sad and mostly I am sad because of all the hatred it causes afterwards. I hope we will all remember we are all human and not religion is the cause of anything of this." (SOUNDBITE) (English) COPENHAGEN RESIDENT, JENNY STRYHN, SAYING: "Hopefully not. Actually I live right at the station at Norrebro and I think that... I went out last night and you can feel it on people, that's a shame I think. But hopefully it will take some days and we all go back to normal, as normal as we can." (SOUNDBITE) (English) TEACHER, THOMAS RASMUSSEN, SAYING: "Maybe we, we take... we have taken each other for, for granted up to now. But now this is a certain kind of seriosity, a kind of gratefulness to still be around, I think. And I work with a lot of Muslim youngsters so I'm very excited to go and talk to them today." POLICEMEN WALKING THROUGH STATION
- Embargoed: 3rd March 2015 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Denmark
- Country: Denmark
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA2A92BPATOPBR4N3GTXU6LPIU9
- Story Text: People in Copenhagen on Monday (February 16) expressed sadness over two attacks at the weekend that killed two and wounded five police officers.
On Sunday (February 15) morning, police shot dead a 22-year-old Danish-born gunman after he killed two people, at an event promoting free speech, and a Copenhagen synagogue.
On Monday, the atmosphere around the synagogue was silent and respectful, the building guarded by police.
A multitude of Danes had come to lay flowers at the 180-year-old building.
At Copenhagen's main train station, commuter Nini Jespersen said she felt sad, reflecting a widespread sense of shock in a country that prides itself on its reputation for safety and social tolerance.
"I feel very sad and mostly I am sad because of all the hatred it causes afterwards. I hope we will all remember we are all human and not religion is the cause of anything of this," she said.
Jenny Stryhn, who lives close to the local Norrebro station where the gunman was shot down by the police, said she hoped normal Copenhagen life would not be stifled by the events.
"Hopefully not. Actually I live right at the station at Norrebro and I think that... I went out last night and you can feel it on people, that's a shame I think. But hopefully it will take some days and we all go back to normal, as normal as we can," Stryhn said.
Teacher Thomas Rasmussen said he would be talking with his Muslim students about the issues raised.
"Maybe we, we take... we have taken each other for, for granted up to now. But now this is a certain kind of seriosity, a kind of gratefulness to still be around, I think. And I work with a lot of Muslim youngsters so I'm very excited to go and talk to them today," he said.
The Danish intelligence chief said the gunman was known to intelligence services prior to the shooting and had probably acted alone. Police said he had a record of violence, gang-related activities and weapons possession.
On Monday, police said they had charged two people with aiding the suspected gunman.
Danish media widely reported the gunman to be Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein. Reuters could not confirm his identity and police declined to comment. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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