A gunman opened fire in downtown Oslo in the early hours of Saturday morning, killing two and wounding at least 19 people.
The Oslo police reported on Twitter that the male suspect was apprehended five minutes after the shootings occurred. Officials later revealed that the gunman arrested was Norwegian of Iranian origin who had on his person both a handgun and an automatic weapon.
The shooting took place near the London Pub, which describes itself on its website as "the largest gay and lesbian venue in Oslo." The location and timing have caused police to suspect that the attack was a possible hate crime against the LGBTQ+ community.
In Norway, gay couples have had the right to marry and have children since 2009.
The mass shooting occurred during Oslo's annual ten-day Pride festivities and just before a street parade scheduled later that Saturday.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere issued a statement to the Norwegian news agency NTB. "We don’t know yet know what is behind this terrible act, but to the queer people who are afraid and in mourning, I want to say that we stand together with you, he said.
Mass shootings in Norway are rare given its restrictive gun laws. All gun owners have to undergo safety training to be licensed. The Norwegian Parliament also banned semi-automatic weapons last year following an attack by a gunman that killed 77 people in 2011.