Denmark terror suspect swore fidelity to ISIS leader on Facebook page

The man suspected of killing two people in Copenhagen swore fidelity to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a posting made on what’s apparently his Facebook page just before the weekend shooting spree.

The post pledges “allegiance to Abu Bakr in full obedience in the good and bad things. And I won’t dispute with him unless it is an outrageous disbelief.”

The suspect in Saturday’s attack has been named as Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein, a senior member of the Danish government said. Police have not formally identified the gunman, who opened fire at a free speech forum in Copenhagen on Saturday before shooting several people outside a synagogue and then firing at police. Police killed him in the shootout.

The nation began the healing process Monday night with a candlelight vigil at which Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt appealed for national unity. Authorities estimated more than 40,000 attended the event.

“An attack on Denmark’s Jews is an attack on everyone,” she said. “The Jewish community is an important part of Denmark. We will stand together and continue the everyday life we know. We stand together as Danes.”

A possible target speaks out

Lars Vilks, a Swedish artist who attended Saturday’s forum, believes he was likely the target of the attack. He escaped unharmed and told CNN on Monday he has gone into hiding. Vilks, known for his controversial depictions of the Prophet Mohammed, is on an al Qaeda hit list. He declined to specify when he first went into hiding and said he is not afraid.

The carnage started Saturday afternoon when the gunman stormed a Copenhagen cafe where Vilks was attending a free speech forum.

Once the attack started, Vilks noticed the gunman had more firepower with his rifle than the nearby officers with handguns.

“He was very well-equipped, and the policemen were not. So he had an advantage,” Vilks told CNN. “Several of the policemen (were) wounded but still they tried to fire back.”

Vilks said his bodyguards hustled him into a safe room.

By the end of the melee, the gunman had wounded three officers and killed a 55-year-old man. Police have not identified the deceased, but the Danish Film Institute said he was director Finn Noergaard.

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