COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Europe is being threatened by Islamist extremists with "crazy" ideology, the mayor of Copenhagen told NBC News in the wake of deadly attacks in the city over the weekend.
"We are all under attack [from] people who are crazy in their ideology, [who are] committing themselves to do violence and terrorism," Frank Jensen said in an interview on Monday.
Police announced on Sunday that they had killed a 22-year-old Danish citizen thought to be responsible for shooting dead two people and injuring five at a freedom of speech event and outside a synagogue. Earlier on Monday, Danish officials announced they had charged two people with helping the suspected gunman.
Jensen also appeared alongside his Parisian counterpart Anne Hidalgo, who is grappling with the aftermath of the January massacre at French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and attack at a kosher grocery, which left 17 people dead.
"It’s been a very tragic weekend in Copenhagen, a very bloody weekend with a very severe terrorist attack against our values, against democracy our values, like freedom of speech," Jensen told reporters after greeting Hidalgo in Copenhagen City Hall. "We see this as a similar situation in Paris a month ago in the attack at Charlie Hebdo and the Jewish supermarket."
Denmark was targeted by violent Islamists 10 years ago after the publication of cartoons satirizing the Prophet Muhammad. Many Muslims consider any representation of Muhammad to be blasphemous.
IN-DEPTH
- Pair Accused of Aiding Gunman After Copenhagen Attacks
- Copenhagen Suspect Was 22, Danish, Known Criminal
- Suspect in Deadly Copenhagen Shootings Dies in Firefight
— Keir Simmons, Michele Neubert and F. Brinley Bruton
Reuters contributed to this report.
