[guest post by Dana]

At a cafe in Copenhagen which was hosting an event focused on free speech, gunmen shot more than 30 bullets through the cafe’s windows, leaving one person dead. Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who over the years has been threatened because of his 2007 cartoons of Mohammad, was in attendance. Also in attendance was François Zimeray, the French ambassador to Denmark. Both survived the attack.

Helle Merete Brix, one of the event’s organizers, told The Associated Press that Vilks was at the meeting but not injured.

“I saw a masked man running past,” she said. “A couple of police officers were injured.”

“I clearly consider this as an attack on Lars Vilks,” she added, saying she was ushered away with Vilks by one of the Danish police guards that he gets whenever he is in Denmark.

Copenhagen police are saying the suspects were wearing black clothes and masks, and speaking Danish.

Via Hot Air, Danish authorities are already calling this a terrorist attack.

The authorities are still in pursuit of the suspects.

–Dana

UPDATE:

Danish police are reportedly searching for an ‘Arab-looking’ male in connection with the Copenhagen cafe shooting.

According to Danish journalist Morten Frich, the cops are searching for an Arab-looking male, aged 25-30 years old, of athletic stature who is 180cm tall.

He has a “light” skin tone and black hair.

UPDATE 2: Another shooting reported in Copenhagen near a synagogue:

One person was reportedly hit in the head, and two police officers suffered arm and leg injuries. The attacker is believed to have fled.

It is not clear whether the shooting is connected to an earlier attack on a cafe in the city.

…

“We cannot say anything about the condition of the injured yet,” the Danish police were were quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

“The perpetrator fled on foot,” they added.

From Danish journalist Tinne Hjersing on Twitter:

1 shot in head, 2 wounded cops Nobody has died No suspects apprehended

UPDATE 3: Danish media have released the name of the alleged suspect who has been shot and killed by the police: Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein, age 22.

Further:

Danish police say the gunman believed to have attacked a free-speech debate and a Copenhagen synagogue was 22, born in Denmark and known to them because of past violence.

Police believe the gunman was acting alone.

He was known to them in connection with criminal gangs and had convictions for violent offences and dealing in weapons.

“It was the case that when the suspect was shot and killed during police action, he was armed with pistols,” police commissioner Thorkild Fogde told a news conference.

He also said police had found a weapon which may have been used in the first shooting.