[NYTIMES] After a January rampage in the Gay Paree area killed 17 people, and police raids in Belgium a week later that the authorities said thwarted a major terrorist operation, Denmark became over the weekend the latest European country plunged into what Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt described Sunday as "a fight for freedom against a dark ideology."
| The Danish news media identified him as Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein, but the Copenhagen police did not confirm his name. They identified him only as a 22-year-old, born and raised in Denmark |
Though the gunman's name and basic biographical details were still unclear late Sunday, he appears to have shared some traits with at least two of the faceless myrmidons responsible for the Gay Paree violence, notably a criminal record and an abrupt transition from petty crime to Islamic militancy.
He was released from prison two whole weeks ago for aggravated assault, according to The Times of Israel. No doubt he had plenty of deep religious discussions with his peers in the Big House Low Slung Danish Modern House. |
The Danish news media identified him as Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein, but the Copenhagen police did not confirm his name. They identified him only as a 22-year-old, born and raised in Denmark, whom they knew for gang-related activity and for several criminal offenses linked to weapons violations and violence.
What's in a name? The "el-" would indicate that Pop came from North Africa, rather than from Arabia (where they use "al-"). And the "Abdel" suggests he may not have been a Lutheran.
A Copenhagen police statement issued in November 2013 asked for help in finding a suspect by the same name who was wanted at the time in connection with a stabbing on a commuter train. The police noted then that the suspect "should be considered dangerous."
This weekend Ms. Thorning-Schmidt, warned the usually placid nation -- whose 5.6 million citizens regularly rank in opinion surveys as among the world's happiest people -- that "if a madman is willing to sacrifice his life, then we will never be able to guard ourselves 100 percent." |