Norway bow and arrow attack victims named as investigation launched into actions of police

Five victims of a bow and arrow attack in Norway have been named as authorities in the country announced an independent investigation into the actions of police will take place.

Five people were shot dead and three people – including an off-duty police officer – were injured during the attack in Kongsberg on Wednesday.

A 37-year-old man named Espen Andersen Braathen, who police say admitted to the killings, has been charged and is undergoing psychiatric evaluation.

Detectives have requested that he be remanded in custody for four weeks, with full isolation for 14 days and he has now been moved into the care of the health services.

Authorities have confirmed those who were injured have been released from hospital.

On Saturday, the South-East Police District formally identified the five victims and said their relatives have been notified.

They were Andréa Meyer, 52, Hanne Merethe Englund, 56, Liv Berit Borge, 75, Gunnar Erling Sauve, 75, and Gun Marith Madsen, 78.

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It comes as Norwegian authorities announced an independent investigation into the actions of police and security agencies during the attack will take place.

The country’s domestic intelligence agency, the PST, said it decided to seek the review after consulting national and regional police commanders.

“Given the seriousness of the matter, it is very important that learning points and any weaknesses and errors are identified quickly in order to be able to implement measures immediately,” PST said in a statement.

News organisations in Norway have questioned how long it took officers to apprehend Braathen after the regional police department received reports about a man shooting arrows at a supermarket.

According to a timeline from police, the first information was logged at 6:13pm and he was caught at 6:47pm.

Police officials have said the first officers on the scene observed a suspect but took cover and called for reinforcements when arrows were fired at them.

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The officials have acknowledged the armed suspect got away and likely killed the five victims outdoors and inside some apartments at that point.

Police said a preliminary investigation suggested that the suspect acted alone and theorised Braathen had converted to Islam but added that the “theory about that is weakened”.

Senior police officer Per Thomas Omholt said during a news conference Friday that three weapons, including the bow and arrow, were used in the attack, but declined to identify the types or to reveal how the five victims were killed, saying investigators need to interview more witnesses and don’t want their accounts influenced by what they read in the news.

People have been paying tribute to the victims, lighting candles and laying flowers in the town, which is around 51 miles (82km) southwest of the capital, Oslo.

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