One Dead After Shooting Near Copenhagen Synagogue; Unclear If Related to Earlier Attack (UPDATE: Police Fatally Shoot Man Who Opened Fire on Them)

UPDATE 8:40 a.m. EST: Danish police said Sunday that the suspect in the shootings at the free speech event and the synagogue may have been inspired by the deadly Islamist terror attacks last month in Paris, in which gunmen stormed the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine and a kosher market.

The English-language Danish news site The Local quoted Jens Madsen from the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) who told reporters that the gunman who was later killed by police "may have been inspired by the events that took place in Paris a few weeks ago."

Madsen further said that the suspect may "generally have been inspired by militant Islamist propaganda issued by IS [the Islamic State] and other terror organizations."

The law enforcement official would not say if the gunman had traveled to Syria or Iraq but that line of inquiry was at "the absolute center of investigations."

The Local reported that the individual had been “on the radar” of Danish intelligence services.

Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, who has drawn caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, and has received multiple death threats, believes he was the intended target at the event titled “Art, blasphemy and the freedom of expression” where the gunman started his rampage Saturday. The event was scheduled on the anniversary of the 1989 Iranian fatwa calling for the assassination of British novelist Salman Rushdie.

Agence France-Presse and the Daily Mail reported that the man killed in the first shooting at the cafe was Finn Norgaard, 55, a Danish filmmaker.

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UPDATE 2:50 a.m. EST: The AP quoted Danish police who said the man they shot and killed was likely behind both shooting attacks, the first one at the free speech event and the second one at a synagogue.

Investigator Joergen Skov said that based on the preliminary investigation, police do not believe there were other gunmen involved.

BREAKING: Police say man killed by police believed to be gunman behind 2 shootings in Copenhagen

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 15, 2015

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UPDATE 12:55 a.m. EST: The following is an account of the fatal shooting of a person of interest from Agence France-Presse via the Guardian:

Copenhagen police said early Sunday they had shot dead a man who opened fire on officers hours after two people were killed and five wounded in twin shootings in the Danish capital.

“The police are now investigating if the person could be behind the shootings at Krudttoenden and the synagogue in Krystalgade,” police said in a statement.

The exchange of fire took place in the multicultural inner-city neighbourhood of Noerrebro where police had been keeping an address under observation earlier in the day.

“At one point a person who could be interesting in relation to the investigation arrived at the site,” police said.

After police called out to him “he opened fire against the police and was thereafter shot,” the statement added.

No police officers were injured in the exchange of fire.

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UPDATE 12:28 a.m. EST: COPENHAGEN, Denmark (TheBlaze/AP) - Copenhagen police said they fatally shot man who opened fire on them near a train station.

BREAKING: Copenhagen police say they shoot, kill man who shot at them near train station

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 15, 2015

There were no immediate reports confirming the gunman was connected to the pair of fatal shootings in Copenhagen on Saturday.

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UPDATE 10:12 p.m. EST: COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - Police say one of three shooting victims outside Copenhagen synagogue has died.

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UPDATE 9:38 p.m. EST: Danish police have said they cannot comment on the condition of the injured people in the second shooting to hit Copenhagen in one day, BBC News reported, citing Agence France-Presse.

This image made from TV2 via Associated Press News video shows armed police guard behind police tape near a synagogue where police reported a shooting in downtown Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. (Image source: AP/TV2 via APTN)

Police confirmed the perpetrator fled on foot, BBC News added.

More from BBC News:

Eyewitness Rasmus Thau Riddersh told the BBC he was going out for a drink with his friends at the time. He said he did not hear the shots, but later saw a man lying on the street.

Sebastian Zepeda, a 19-year-old visitor from London, told the Associated Press he didn't want to leave his hotel room after hearing about the first shooting and was text messaging his mother when the second shooting occurred on the street below.

"I was on my bed and I heard gunshots. And my heart raced," Zepeda told the AP. "All of a sudden the road was packed with police."

This photo, provided by Sebastian Zepeda, shows the scene near a synagogue where police reported a shooting in downtown Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. (AP Photo/Sebastian Zepeda)

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UPDATE 8 p.m. EST: One of the shooting victims was reportedly hit in the head while the two police officers had arm and leg injuries, BBC News reported.

The attacker reportedly fled the scene, BBC News added.

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UPDATE 7:50 p.m. EST: Here's a video report from Sky News:

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UPDATE 7:35 p.m. EST: ABC News reported three people were wounded, including two police officers, at a Copenhagen synagogue:

JUST IN: 3 wounded, including two police officers, at Copenhagen synagogue https://t.co/2iRucYDn1C

— ABC News (@ABC) February 15, 2015

Original story below

There was a shooting at a synagogue in Copenhagen, according to journalist Morten Frich, who cited Danish police:

COPENHAGEN Confirmed by Danish police: 1 person shot in head + 2 wounded cops at synagogue in Krystalgade. Shooter at large. #cphshooting

— Morten Frich (@MortenFrich) February 15, 2015

This photo, provided by Rasmus Thau Riddersh, shows the scene near a synagogue where police reported a shooting in downtown Copenhagen, Denmark, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015. One person was shot in the head and two police officers were shot in the arms and legs, police said. (Image source: AP/Rasmus Thau Riddersh)

It's unclear if the shooting is related to the earlier attack during a free-speech event in the city.

This is breaking news; updates will be added.

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