Gunman fires a shot inside Oslo mall, police say the center is safe
Norwegian police say a shopping center in the capital, Oslo, has been cleared to reopen for business after a gunman opened fire inside on Monday, prompting a large emergency response and brief evacuation, but no reported injuries. The Oslo shopping center shooting took place at Storo Storsenter, one of the city’s busiest malls, in the late morning.
In a statement, police said the suspect appeared to have acted alone and fired at least one shot inside the building before being detained. Authorities quickly sealed off the area, searched the mall, and then determined there was no ongoing threat.
Shoppers described a sudden wave of fear as alarms rang, stores pulled down their shutters, and customers were rushed into back rooms while officers swept the complex for possible victims.
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A shot was fired into the ceiling, and weapons were seized
According to Norwegian media, the suspect — a 19-year-old man — entered Storo Storsenter carrying a shotgun, as well as a knife and a baseball bat. Police say he himself phoned in to report that he had a gun inside the mall shortly before a shot was fired into the ceiling of a common area.
Witnesses told local outlets that they heard a loud bang and saw people running as security staff and shop workers quickly moved to lock the doors. No one was hit by the shot, and there were no reports of injuries directly caused by the gunfire. Police later said several weapons and ammunition were recovered when the suspect was arrested.
Officers detained the man and removed him from the mall on a stretcher, though they said he was physically unhurt and was being given health care and assessed after the incident.
Storo Storsenter evacuated, then reopened
The Oslo shopping center shooting triggered a full evacuation of Storo Storsenter as police moved in to secure the scene. Fire alarms were activated, and customers were instructed to leave the building or shelter in locked shops while officers methodically checked corridors, stairwells and storage areas.
One shop worker told Aftenposten the situation felt “very uncomfortable” because there were many shoppers in the mall at the time and little information at first about what was happening.
After a thorough sweep, police announced they had control of the situation, believed the suspect had acted alone and that there was no evidence of additional attackers or wounded victims. The mall was later reopened to shoppers, with a visible police presence to reassure the public.
Motive under investigation, suspect not previously known to police
Police say it is too early to state a clear motive for the Oslo shopping center shooting. Investigators have said the 19-year-old is not previously known to them, and that early indications suggest the case is being treated as a serious firearms and public safety offence rather than an organised criminal or terror-related attack.
Oslo police operations chief Tor Grøttum told VG and other outlets that the rapid response may have prevented a worse outcome. He called the incident “very serious” and noted that there was a “great potential for injury” given the number of people inside the mall when the shot was fired.
Forensic teams have documented the scene where the shotgun blast struck the ceiling, and detectives are now focusing on interviewing witnesses, reviewing security footage and building a fuller picture of the suspect’s movements and state of mind before the incident.
Shoppers rattled, but no repeat of earlier mall violence
While Norway has relatively low levels of gun crime compared with many countries, the Oslo shopping center shooting comes just months after a separate incident at another mall in the city’s Tveita district, where an argument between two groups escalated into a daytime shooting that left one man hospitalised with gunshot wounds.
In that case, police temporarily closed the Tveita Senter to gather evidence, and later arrested suspects believed to be involved. Monday’s Storo incident, by contrast, ended without injuries but has still revived concerns about security and emergency preparedness in crowded public spaces.
Authorities have urged residents to remain calm but vigilant, and praised staff at Storo Storsenter for following emergency procedures that helped move people out of harm’s way quickly.
For shoppers and workers who were inside the mall, the knowledge that no one was hit offers relief — but the sound of a gunshot in a normally routine retail setting is likely to linger in memory long after the centre’s doors have reopened.
