Danish police on Sunday claimed to have shot dead the gunman who who killed two people in separate shootings at a cafe and a synagogue in Denmark capital Copenhagen.
The massive operation to find the gunman began after the Krudttonden cafe in central Osterbro was sprayed with bullets on Saturday afternoon.
The attack came during a free-speech debate involving controversial Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who had depicted the prophet Muhammad in cartoons. One person was killed in the attack, thought to have been an attempt to murder Vilks.
Vilks, 68, has faced several attempted attacks and death threats after he depicted the Prophet Muhammad as a dog in 2007.
"I heard someone firing with an automatic weapons and someone shouting. Police returned the fire and I hid behind the bar. I felt surreal, like in a movie," Niels Ivar Larsen, one of the speakers at the event, told the TV2 channel.
The French ambassador to Denmark, François Zimeray, was at the scene of the cafe shooting. “They fired on us from the outside. It was the same intention as Charlie Hebdo except they didn’t manage to get in,” he told Agence France-Presse.
“Bullets went through the doors and everyone threw themselves to the floor. Intuitively I would say there were at least 50 gunshots, and the police here are saying 200.”
Then just after midnight local time, a man was shot in the head at a synagogue in the centre of the Danish capital. Two police officers were also hit but their injuries were said not to be life-threatening. The victim at the synagogue was described as a young community member who had been guarding the door at a bar mitzvah -- a coming-of-age ceremony.
Following a massive manhunt, police shot dead the suspected gunman, who had arrived at an inner-city address they had under surveillance in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt later issued a statement in which she said: "This is a very sad morning when we all send our thoughts to the victims and their relatives. Two innocent people have lost their lives as the result of a cynical act of terror against Denmark."
"Throughout the day and night, police have acted quickly and focused to ensure citizens' safety. I am happy and relieved that police have disarmed the suspected perpetrator behind the two shootings. I will continue to encourage everyone to follow police instructions and be vigilant."
"I would like to express my deepest respect for the police and other authorities' efforts. This applies especially to the wounded officers and their colleagues who selflessly put themselves in direct danger to protect us. The government is closely monitoring developments. No one should get away with attacking the open, free and democratic Danish society."
