El-Hussein was a “Danish-born 22-year-old known to police because of past violence, gang-related activities and possession of weapons, police said in a statement on Sunday.”

It was the case that when the suspect was shot and killed during police action, he was armed with pistols,”

police commissioner Thorkild Fogde told a news conference.

In December 2014, he was convicted for stabbing a young man several times with a knife in a subway train in 2013. The sentence was two years in prison, but he was released after a lengthy pre-trial detention a two weeks prior to the 14 February attacks.

***

At 15:33 CET at the "Art, Blasphemy and Freedom of Expression" (Danish: Kunst, blasfemi og ytringsfrihed) seminar, which was organized by the Lars Vilks Committee and held at the Krudttøndencultural centre at Østerfælled Torv in the Østerbrodistrict of Copenhagen, Denmark on 14 February 2015, a 55-year-old man attending the event was killed and three police officers were wounded by automatic gunfire.

 Two of the officers were bodyguards belonging to the Danish Security and Intelligence Service. At least 30 bullet holes were visible in the window of the centre, a popular location known for jazz concerts.

The French Ambassador to Denmark François Zimeray, who attended the event, stated:

"Intuitively I would say there were at least 50 gunshots, and the police here are saying 200."

As well as Zimeray, participants attending the event included Ukrainian FEMEN activist Inna Shevchenko, editor at Dagbladet Information Niels Ivar Larsen, who spoke at the meeting, and organizer Helle Merete Brix, the latter describing the attack as targeted at Vilks.

After the attack, the suspect hijacked and fled in a dark-colored Volkswagen Polo. Police warned potential eyewitnesses to contact them directly without approaching the vehicle.

The car was later found abandoned a few kilometres away.

Danish police stated that they investigated the case as an act of terror and possibly an assassination attempt on Vilks, though without knowing the actual motive of the perpetrators.

Police blockade on the part of Strøget leading to Nørreport Station, three hours after the synagogue shooting

At 00:50 on 15 February 2015, a shooting took place at the Great Synagogue on Krystalgade in central Copenhagen. A bat mizvah ceremony attended by 80 people was taking place there.

A gunman shot in the head one person, later identified as Dan Uzan, a 38-year-old Jewish community member who was on security duty; he later died.

The gunman also wounded two PET police officers, in the arms and legs.

Police evacuated nearby Nørreport Station, the country's busiest rail hub and close to where the synagogue shooting took place, did not allow any trains to stop there.

At 05:25 in the morning on 15 February, police reported that they had shot a man around 04:50 near Nørrebro station. They confirmed he was killed. The man was approaching an address the police had under surveillance. When they called out to him, he began firing a gun at them. At a press conference that morning, the police said they believe the person they shot was behind both attacks.

Danish police identified the suspect, who was a man known to Danish intelligence