The suspected attacker used a bow and arrow, a spokesman for Norway’s southeastern police district, which includes Kongsberg, told CNN on Wednesday.
The suspect is under arrest and is believed to have acted alone. He has not yet been questioned, according to Øyvind Aas, police chief of the county seat Drammen. There is “no active search for more people,” according to Aas.
Speaking to press after the attack, the police chief said authorities had not ruled out the possibility of a terror attack. “From the course of events, it is natural to consider whether this is an act of terrorism,” he said.
However, “the apprehended person has not been questioned, and it is therefore too early to say anything about this and what was the person’s motivation.”
The suspect moved across a “large area” in the course of the attack and was apprehended at 6:47 pm local time, a police statement said.
Speaking at a press conference in Oslo, the capital, Erna Solberg, the country’s outgoing prime minister, described the developments in Kongsberg as “gruesome” and promised that “all necessary resources” are being deployed.
“The perpetrator has carried out horrific acts against several people. It is a very dramatic situation that has hit Kongsberg society hard, and the events shake us all,” she said.
In a Facebook post, Støre described the attack as a “cruel and brutal act.”
“My thoughts and deepest sympathy now go to those affected, their families, and to the police, health personnel and aid workers who are now working full time to provide an overview and assist those who need help.”
According to Aas, one of the injured is an off-duty policeman who was in a store.
“The injured have been taken to hospital for treatment. The Kongsberg municipality has been notified and has set up crisis teams to assist and follow up with those who need it,” he said.
Kongsberg is located 85 kilometers (about 53 miles) west of Oslo.
Police in country are now temporarily armed
Local police began receiving emergency calls from central Kongsberg at 6:13 pm local time, according to a statement by the southeastern police district.
The calls reported a person walking around with “what was supposedly a bow and arrow.”
Shots were fired by police during the arrest, said Aas.
“It took some time from the time our first patrol was on the scene until he was arrested. We will return to a more detailed description of the course of events when we have a better overview of what happened,” he said.
“Due to the serious incident in Kongsberg where several people were killed and injured tonight, the police in Norway are temporarily armed,” the Norwegian Police directorate said in a statement on Wednesday.
“This is an additional emergency measure,” the statement added. “The police currently have no concrete indications that there is a change in the threat level in the country.”
Under Norwegian law, officers typically must have prior approval to carry firearms.
The attack comes just over a decade since Norway’s worst terrorist attack.
In August 2019, another man stormed an Oslo mosque armed with guns before being overpowered. That year, the country’s intelligence service reported that right-wing terrorism was on the rise globally, and warned that the country would likely be targeted in the near future.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Previous reporting by CNN’s Laura Smith-Spark in London.
More News
Study Suggests Genetics as a Cause, Not Just a Risk, for Some Alzheimers
Opinion | Getting Back to Basics on Free Speech
Condé Nast Employees Threaten to Walk Off Job on Eve of Met Gala