Shootout: Shortly before midnight (EST) on Saturday, police hunting for a 'lone wolf' gunman in Copenhagen, Denmark, shot and killed a man at Norrebro train station. Above, officers crouch down outside the station
Police
hunting for a 'lone wolf' gunman in Copenhagen have shot and killed a
man at a city train station - just hours after two men died and five
others were injured in two shooting attacks nearby.
Shortly
before midnight (EST) on Saturday, officers gunned down the
unidentified man - described as 'a person of interest' in the manhunt -
at Norrebro train station after he 'opened fire' on them.
The
force is now investigating whether he was responsible for either, or
both, of the shootings, which occurred at a Jewish synagogue and a local
cafe within hours of each other on Saturday.
In
a statement, police said the man had been under surveillance to
determine whether he was behind the attacks. He was shot dead in a
gunfight at the train station, which had earlier been evacuated.
'At
one point a person who could be interesting in relation to the
investigation arrived at the site,' the force told Agence-France Presse.
'He opened fire against the police and was thereafter shot.'
Earlier
on Saturday, an 'Islamist fanatic' fired 200 bullets into the Danish
capital's Krudttoenden cafe in an apparent attempt to kill Swedish
cartoonist Lars Vilks, who drew Prophet Mohammed as a dog.
Although
68-year-old Vilks - who was attending a free speech event in a lecture
hall inside the building housing the cafe - escaped the 'terrorist'
attack, a 55-year-old man died and three cops were injured.
Climax: Police said the man had been under surveillance to determine whether he was behind two shooting attacks earlier in the day. Above, in this image, taken by Ronni Abergel, police stand outside the station
Suspect: It is unknown whether the deceased man was the same person as the male suspect pictured in the above photo, which was released by police following the first of two fatal shootings that occurred Saturday
Attack: A man was fatally shot in the head and two police officers were injured in an attack on Copenhagen's Great Synagogue on Saturday night. Above, a victim is pictured lying on the ground inside the synagogue
Riddled: The shooting came just hours after a man died when an 'Islamist fanatic' opened fire on a cafe two miles away. Above, the windows of the Krudttoenden cafe were shattered after being blasted with 200 bullets
Location: Before the 'person of interest' was shot dead by police, officers had been keeping an address under observation in Norrebro, about three miles away from the synagogue. Above, this map shows the location of the cafe shooting, the synagogue attack hours later and the fatal shootout between the police and the man
Early Sunday morning, armed police were still patrolling Copenhagen and helicopters were circling overhead as the city remained in lockdown. Locals had been warned to be vigilant and stay inside.
Before the 'person of interest' was shot dead by police, officers had reportedly been keeping an address under observation in the district of Norrebro, about three miles away from the synagogue.
When the man showed up at the train station in the predominantly immigrant district, he spotted officers keeping watch, pulled out a gun and started firing, police said. He was killed in return fire.
Lockdown: Armed police (pictured) were pictured patrolling the area on Saturday night as helicopters circled overhead and the city went into lockdown. Residents were warned by police to be vigilant and stay indoors
Patrol: A Danish special forces police officer is seen on patrol in central Copenhagen, Denmark, on Saturday
Arrest: Police arrest an unidentified man shortly after the synagogue shooting. It is thought the man arrested is not the suspected 'lone gunman' who killed one man and injured two cops in the second attack of the day
Manhunt: Police described the man as aged between 25 and 30 years old, of athletic build and Arabic appearance and carrying a black automatic weapon. He remains on the loose in the city
Sebastian Zepeda, 19, from London, was one of many people too terrified to leave their hotel rooms and homes on Saturday after hearing the second shooting underway at the synagogue below him.
He said: 'I was on my bed and I heard gunshots. And my heart raced. All of a sudden the road was packed with police.' Norrebro train station was evacuated in the minutes after the shooting.
Denmark was first placed on high alert on Saturday afternoon after the 'lone wolf' gunman fired on the cafe during a free speech event featuring Mr Vilks, who believes he was the intended target.
Francois Zimeray, the French ambassador to Denmark, was inside the cafe - which was hosting the panel discussion 'Art, blasphemy and freedom of expression' at the time - when the attack began.
He compared it to the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris last month, when extremists stormed the satirical newspaper's offices and shot dead 12 people, before carrying out two further fatal attacks.
The free speech event - and both of Saturday's attacks - occurred on the 26th anniversary of a fatwa being issued calling for the murder of Salman Rushdie for his novel, The Satanic Verses.
Attack: Shots were fired at a cafe in Copenhagen this afternoon which was hosting a debate on freedom of speech
Survivor: A victim of the gun attack was stretchered out of the Krudttoenden cafe to a waiting ambulance
Examining the scene: A forensic expert looks for clues at the scene in front of the Krudttoenden cafe, where shots were fired during a discussion meeting about art, blasphemy and free speech in Copenhagen, Denmark
Hundreds: Some reports say there were as many as 200 shots fired by the masked gunmen
Secure: Policemen secure the area around a building in Copenhagen, Denmark, after the attack
Just over a month ago, 17 people were killed in France in three days of violence that began when two Islamist gunmen burst into the Paris offices of the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, opening fire in revenge for its publication of images of Mohammed.
Charlie Hebdo columnist Patrick Pelloux condemned the shootings on Saturday. He told AFP: 'They targeted an artist and also France. We must fight fascism at all costs. We are all Danish tonight.'
Comparisons between the two events are already starting to be made - including by the French ambassador Francois Zimeray, who was present at the meeting.
He said: 'They fired on us from the outside. It was the same intention as (the January 7 attack on) Charlie Hebdo except they didn't manage to get in.
'Intuitively I would say there were at least 50 gunshots, and the police here are saying 200.
'Bullets went through the doors and everyone threw themselves to the floor. We managed to flee the room, and now we're staying inside because it's still dangerous.
'The attackers haven't been caught and they could very well still be in the neighbourhood.'
Warning: On Twitter, accounts believed to be linked to Islamist fanatics had identified Denmark as the 'next stop' for terror attacks
Threat: This user posted on the same day as the Charlie Hebdo terror attacks and said: 'Denmark can learn something from terror attack'
Standing guard: A Firearms police officer stands guard after the shooting at Krudttonden cafe in Denmark
Meanwhile, social media accounts believed to be linked to Islamist fanatics claimed last month that Denmark would be one of the next targets of a terrorist attack.
One account, using the name @HazmNasr, said Denmark would be targeted by terrorists and another, using the handle @Hazm_Shami, posted the threat: 'Denmark can learn something from Paris attack. Refrain from slandering our god and our prophet, or be prepared to be like those who dead'.
Sweden's security police said Swedish bodyguards were with Vilks at the time of the shooting.
Authorities in southern Sweden said they were helping Danish police in the hunt for the gunmen. Sweden is joined to Denmark by bridge, and transit across is largely unchecked - sparking fears they may have followed Mr Vilks into the country in an assassination attempt.
However, Helle Merete Brix, one of the organisers of the event, said Mr Vilks, 68, had not been injured.