” An act of terrorism ”. This is how the Norwegian Intelligence Service (PST) described the attack carried out last night in Kongsberg by a 37-year-old man who, armed with a bow and arrow, killed five people. ” The Kongsberg events appear at the moment as an act of terrorism, but the investigation, conducted by the Southeast Police District, will clarify in more detail what motivated them. The threat level in Norway is still considered moderate, ” a statement read.
” The level of the threat in Norway is considered moderate ”, they said later. “The PST still believes it is possible that Islamic extremists and right-wing extremists will try to carry out terrorist attacks in Norway”, the text continues. “Attacks on randomly hit people in public places are a recurring modus operandi among Islamic extremists who practice terror in the West,” the statement said.
The 37-year-old will undergo a psychiatric examination, Norwegian prosecutor Ann Iren Svane Mathiassen told public broadcaster Nkr. The man’s health will be evaluated by forensic psychiatric experts, he said, explaining that “this is not unusual in such severe cases.” Mathiassen also explained that the attacker ” came into contact with the health service several times ”.
The man has multiple records, most notably arrests for small amounts of drugs, and in 2020 he was placed under a six-month restraint order for threatening to kill a family member.
Police chief Ole Bredruo Saeverud confirmed that the suspect had attracted police attention for his conversion to Islam, highlighting the risk of possible radicalization. Reportedly, this type of report would not be made in the current year.
During last night’s interrogation, the man admitted that he killed the five victims, four women and a man between 50 and 70 years old, while other people were injured in the attack in which other weapons were allegedly used on which however, the police have not yet provided further information.