Oslo shooting: what happened in possible terror attack at London Pub in Norway capital - and suspect named

A shooting at a gay bar in Oslo in the early hours of 25 June left two people dead and at least eight in need of hospital treatment.

The shooting, which took place at London Pub in the centre of Norway’s capital, is being treated as a terror attack.

Police received multiple calls about the incident at 1.14am on 25 June and arrived at the scene within minutes.

Within three minutes of their arrival, the police had apprehended a male suspect.

The Oslo Pride events which had been due to take place later on 25 June were cancelled by organisers due to security concerns raised by police in the aftermath of the shooting.

What happened at the scene?

Olav Roenneberg, a journalist for the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK who witnessed the shooting, told the channel: “I saw a man arrive at the site with a bag. He picked up a weapon and started shooting.

“First I thought it was an air gun. Then the glass of the bar next door was shattered and I understood I had to run for cover.”

A Norwegian news channel also showed footage of people running down streets near where the shooting took place as shots were heard in the background.

Latest reports state that two people were killed in the shooting and more than 20 required medical treatment at the scene - eight of those were taken to hospital for further treatment.

Another witness told NKR: "I was in the outer bar in London when it happened. I just noticed that a shot was fired, and I was hit by a shard of glass.

“There were more and more and more shots, so I escaped into the inner bar and tried to get as many as possible with me."

A woman told the Norwegian newspaper, Verdens Gang, that the gunman had taken careful aim at his targets.

She said: "When I understood that it was serious, I ran. There was a man covered in blood motionless on the floor."

Has Oslo Pride been cancelled?

This year’s Pride event in Oslo would also mark 50 years since homosexuality was decriminalised in Norway.

The event was expected to feature a pride parade as well as other events and was billed as “Norway’s largest celebration of queer love and diversity” on the Oslo Pride website.

A statement released on the Oslo Pride website said that following guidance from police, the parade and other events related to Oslo Pride, which was due to take place today (June 25) would be cancelled.

The statement also read: “We will soon be proud and visible again, but today, we will share our Pride celebrations from home.”

The Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Stoere, expressed his condolences for the victims in a Facebook post and called the shooting: "a cruel and deeply shocking attack on innocent people terrible and deeply shocking attack on innocent people.

He added: “To the queer community who are now scared and in mourning, I want to say that we are all with you.”

Who is the suspect?

Local media have named and pictured the man who has been charged with the killings.

He is Zaniar Matapour, a 42-year-old man who was reportedly born in Iranian Kurdistan and came to Bergen, Norway as a refugee when he was 12. He has since become a Norwegian national and lives in Oslo.

Prosecutor Christian Hatlo told police that the suspect was "known to the police," but has only received "minor convictions" until now.

Matapour has been charged with murder, attempted murder and terrorist acts.

Police believe that the suspect acted alone in the attack and that no-one else was involved.