Gunman in Zurich mosque shooting is dead: police

Send a link to a friend  Share

[December 20, 2016]    ZURICH (Reuters) - A man who shot three people at a Zurich mosque on Monday is dead, police said on Tuesday, confirming that a body found near the scene was that of the assailant.

Police stand outside an Islamic center in central Zurich, Switzerland December 19, 2016. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

Zurich cantonal police said authorities had identified the suspect, but gave no details. A news conference was scheduled for 1300 GMT.

The gunman had stormed into the Islamic center and opened fire on worshippers.

"The dead man found around 300 meters (yards) from the scene of the crime after the shooting in the mosque is the suspect," a statement on a police website said.

Two of the three victims -- aged 30, 35 and 56 -- were seriously injured in the attack, which took place shortly after 5:30 p.m. (1630 GMT) near the main train station in Switzerland's financial capital. A third sustained less severe injuries.

Police had identified the suspect only as a man around 30 years old wearing dark clothing and a dark woolen cap who fled the mosque after the attack.

(Reporting by Angelika Gruber and Michael Shields; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

Back to top