Norwegian accused of terror, murder
A NORWEGIAN suspected of killing his stepsister and opening fire at a mosque near Oslo is suspected of a terrorist act and murder, police said yesterday. But he, with black eyes and wounds on his face and neck, rejects allegations in court.
The man, identified by media as 21-year-old Philip Manshaus, is formally accused of murder in the death of his 17-year-old stepsister and of a “terrorist act” at the Al-Noor mosque on Saturday, police said in a statement.
In Norway, being formally named as a suspect is a step prior to indictment. The suspect’s lawyer, Unni Fries, said her client rejects the allegations.
The suspect is accused of entering the mosque in the affluent Oslo suburb of Baerum armed with at least two weapons and opening fire before being overpowered by a 65-year-old man who suffered minor injuries.
Hours after the attack, the body of a young woman was found in a home in Baerum and police on Sunday confirmed it was the suspect’s 17-year-old stepsister.
According to local media, she was of Chinese origin and had been adopted by the companion of the suspect’s father.
Oslo’s acting chief of the police operation Rune Skjold said on Sunday the investigation showed that the suspect appeared to hold “far-right” and “anti-immigrant” views.
Shortly before the mosque attack, a person identifying himself as Philip Manshaus had posted a message on the EndChan forum calling on readers to move a “race war” off the web and into real life.
The author said he was selected by “saint tarrant,” an apparent reference to the New Zealand mosque attack suspect Brenton Tarrant, accused of killing 51 people in attacks on two mosques in Christchurch in March.
The post ended with the words “Valhalla awaits,” a reference to the afterlife for those who have died in battle in Norse mythology.
(AFP)