Police try to get to the bottom of rash of gang shootings

Police suspect that fatal shooting in Frederiksberg and two others around the city are gang-related and shut down the Metro today to search for evidence

Copenhagen Police are investigating a shooting which took place on Finsensvej in Frederiksberg on Wednesday evening. Two shots were fired at the victim at close quarters and hit him in the chest. The victim, who has been identified as 27-year-old Zaid Mohammed Al-Kayssi, died Thursday morning at Rigshospitalet.

It was the third shooting this week alone and police are now investigating whether they are connected.

The first shooting happened in the western suburb of Skovlunde just before 20:00 Monday evening. The victim was a 19-year-old man. He was not severely injured despite being hit by multiple bullets in what police suspect was a gang-related incident. 

“He is a 19-year old man, who is already known to the police,” Ole Nielsen, deputy assistant commissioner of Western Copenhagen Police, told TV2 News.

The crime scene is in a stop-and-search zone which was introduced on January 12 due to disturbances within the gang environment, including the murder of a man associated with the gang Værebros Hårde Kerne (VHK). The police have already confiscated 18 firearms as well as several knives, gas sprays and ammunition in the area.

On Tuesday around 15:30, the second shooting took place in Høje Gladsaxe. More than ten bullets were shot at a 27-year old man, though none managed to connect. The cars used for escaping both the first and the second shooting were burned down. Both of those incidents are suspected to be gang-related as well.

Including these incidents, there have been a total of ten registered shootings within the past six weeks which are all suspected to be disputes between VHK and the gang Loyal To Familia (LTF). Police suspect that the disputes involve the cannabis trade.

Al-Kayssi, the victim of the Wednesday shooting, is also associated with gangs. When looking through his Facebook profile, the police found several pictures of him with gang members from VHK and his friend list includes members of VHK and Hells Angels.

However, according to TV2's sources, Al-Kayssi had been trying to get out of this environment for several years.

“He was not a part of it,” a friend of the victim told TV2.

The police shut down the Metro for an hour today in order to search for evidence in the murder case. They are looking for a man estimated to be 20 to 25 years of age, approximately 165 cm tall and dark-skinned. At the time of crime, he was wearing a black winter jacket, a black tracksuit and a black beanie and was carrying a white and blue plastic bag. The police are encouraging anyone with relevant information to contact them on 114.

TOP STORIES

  • Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    After more than a decade living in Denmark, Russell shares why she made the move, how she’s coping, what she already misses, and the exciting new projects she’s working on. “It’s been a very tough decision. I love Denmark, and it will always hold a special place in my heart,” she says.

  • Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    The new Gefion AI supercomputer is one of the world’s fastest and will accelerate research and provide new opportunities in Danish academia and industry.

  • Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Experts believe it takes seven years to move into a new culture, according to leading Danish psychologist Jette Simon and therapist Vibeke Hartkorn. For expat couples, the challenges of starting a new life together in Denmark can put pressure on relationships, but emotions-focused therapy can help.

  • More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    Politicians debate a lot these days about when you can retire. The reality shows that an increasing number of Danes like to work, even if they can withdraw from the labor market. Financial incentives help.

  • Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Canadian-born environmental activist Paul Watson has been in prison in Greenland for almost 100 days awaiting an extradition decision for a 14-year-old offence against a Japanese whaling vessel that he calls a “minor misdemeanor”. The 73-year-old had previously passed through Ireland, Switzerland, Monaco, France and the USA without trouble, before Greenlandic police arrested him in July.

  • Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    When the Danish government in January presented the first of its schemes to make it easier to recruit foreign labour from outside the EU, it was hailed by the healthcare and service sectors as a timely and important policy shift. But while healthcare changes have been forthcoming, the service sector is still struggling, say the directors of the industry association Dansk Industri and one of the country’s largest private employers ISS.

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Sign up here

Career

  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend

  • Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.

  • Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs