Norwegian authorities say a man held over a suspected Islamist deadly weekend shooting ahead of an LGBTQ festival in Oslo is still refusing to talk to police, making it hard to establish whether he had any accomplices
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — A man held over a suspected Islamist deadly weekend shooting ahead of an LGBTQ festival in Oslo is still refusing to talk to police, making it hard to establish whether he had any accomplices, Norwegian authorities said Wednesday.
Zaniar Matapour, a 43-year-old Norwegian citizen originally from Iran, was arrested shortly after Saturday’s predawn shooting in the Norwegian capital’s nightlife district and was held on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
Two people were killed and more than 20 wounded in what the Norwegian security service called an “Islamist terror act.”
Prosecutor Børge Enkosen told a press conference Wednesday that the suspect’s refusal to be questioned means “we are still unsure whether (he) may have had accomplices.” He added that police had offered to question Matapour without either sound or video recordings, but he declined.
The suspect’s lawyer, Bernt Heiberg, told The Associated Press in a text message that his client “has all along been skeptical about how the police will present a possible explanation” for his alleged acts.
“He has therefore decided not to give an explanation for the time being,” Heiberg said.
Investigators have several hypotheses regarding a possible motive for the shooting although police have unsuccessfully tried to question Matapour since Saturday.
The gunman opened fire at three locations, including outside the London Pub, a popular gay bar in downtown Oslo. Police investigators have said it is too early to say whether the attacker specifically targeted the LGBTQ community.
