A police officer uses a sniffer dog at the scene of the investigation.
(Hakon Mosvold Larsen/NTB/AFP/Getty Images)
Five people were killed and at least two others injured during an attack in the Norwegian town of Kongsberg, according to police.
The suspected attacker was using a bow and arrow, a spokesperson for Norway’s southeastern police district, which includes Kongsberg, told CNN on Wednesday. Kongsberg is located 85 kilometers (about 53 miles) west of capital city Oslo.
If you’re just reading in, here’s what we know about the attack:
The suspect: The attacker is believed to have acted alone. An arrest has been made and there is “no active search for more people,” said ?yvind Aas, police chief of the county seat Drammen, in a news conference after the attack. The perpetrator “moved over a large area” while carrying out the attack, he said.
The investigation: Authorities have 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,” Aas said.
“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.”
Attack described as a “cruel and brutal act”: 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.
The attack comes on the eve of a new government in Norway, after last month’s parliamentary elections?unseated the long-ruling Conservative party. Labour leader Jonas Gahr St?re is due to assume the role of prime minister on Thursday.
In a Facebook post, St?re described the Kongsberg attack as a “cruel and brutal act.”
Police given rare order: In the wake of the attack, Norwegian police across the country have been given the rare?order to carry firearms?as a precaution.
“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.
Read more about the attack here.