Gunman kills 2 people & injures 21 in mass shooting outside Oslo nightclub

Last night in Oslo, Norway, tragedy struck the city as a gunman opened fire on crowds in three locations, including a gay bar in the nations capitol.  The tragedy has pushed the Norwegian security service to raise their terror alert to its highest level.

Reports indicate that the gunman, a 42- year old Norwegian national, who was originally of Iranian descent, had been previously known to the police and was arrested within minutes of the violence, but unfortunately not before 21 were injured and 2 persons left dead.  The gunman opened fire on three separate locations, the London Pub, a LGBTQ+ club in the city, the Herr Nilsen jazz club and a nearby takeaway food stand.  With the city about to begin their Pride celebrations, questions are quickly being raised about whether the attack was focused as a response to the activities.  Witnesses say the gunman looked “very determined” as he fired upon the crowds in the early hours of the morning.  When police arrested the suspect, he was found to be carrying a pistol and an automatic rifle.

In response to the violence, organizers opted to cancel the planned Pride march and all related events in the city.  While information and motives are still being investigated, the prospect of this being a hate crime, focused on the LGBTQ+ community is clearly being explored and is a sad reminder of the hatred, vitriol and violence that too many people still face because of their personal life.  Here at We Rave You, our hearts go out to the victims, the families affected and the whole community of Oslo for their terror witnessed their.  Fortunately the police response was swift and limited the violence carried out.

Image Credit: AJ Colores on Unsplash