The southern Norwegian municipality of Halden woke up Sunday morning to news of a fatal shooting at a local farm. A group of hunters had gathered early at the farm when shots suddenly were fired at them, killing two and seriously injuring a third.
The shooting drama began when the hunting group of around a dozen men were discussing which posts they’d take when they headed into the local woods. Norway’s annual moose- and deer-hunting season began last week.
Suddenly, according to police, the hunters were under fire themselves when another man who was not part of their group began shooting at them. Two men were shot and killed, confirmed local police to Norwegian media, while a third man was severely wounded and flown to Ullevål Hospital in Oslo where he was said to be in stable but serious condition Sunday afternoon.
Newspaper VG reported that all three men were members of the hunting group, while the man who shot at them was not. He was seized by other members of the group and held until police summoned by the hunters arrived at the scene. The assailant, in his late 20s, has not contested the murder- and attempted murder charges that were quickly filed against him, nor has he objected to being held in police custody.
Police told reporters at the scene that one of the two hunters killed was a man in his 70s and the other in his 40s. They were father and son, and local officials quickly set up a crisis team to help their family members along with all those who were witness to the shooting.
Asked whether the attack was targeted at those shot or at the entire group, prosecutor Anders Svarholt of Norway’s eastern police district said there were “indications that point in both directions.” All who witnessed the shooting were being questioned by police, who said they hoped to soon clarify both the background and motive for the shooting, which took place around 7:30am on Sunday.
The police operations leader at the scene, Wilhelm Bjølseth, told reporters that some members of the hunting group managed to tackle the assailant and hold him until police arrived. There was a major emergency response to the shooting, including police, ambulance, a local fire brigade and three helicopters.
Police issued their first public statement from the scene at 7:59am, after they had control over the assailant. They were still trying to establish Sunday afternoon why the man who fired at the hunters was there and why he started shooting at the hunting group. He’s believed to have a relation to the group but not a family relation.
“We don’t think this is just a random person who began to fire shots at a hunting group,” Svarhold told state broadcaster NRK. The assailant is believed to have used a rifle and is registered as owning two hunting rifles, according to police. He had no earlier criminal record.
NewsinEnglish.no/Nina Berglund
