At least one person has been killed by gunmen who interrupted a blasphemy debate at the Krudttønden theatre in Østerbro, Copenhagen this afternoon.

Several others, all of whom are believed to be police officers, were wounded.

Cartoonist and ambassador present
Among those present at the event were the controversial Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks and French ambassador Francois Zimeray, who sources have confirmed were both unharmed.

Some 30-40 shots were fired by two to three gunmen who subsequently fled and are still at large. They left the scene in a dark-coloured Volkswagen Polo. Police later found the car abandoned. 

Vilks the probable target
It is believed that the target of the attack was Vilks, the organiser of the ‘Art, blasphemy and the freedom of expression event’, who always have police protection when he travels to Denmark.

Vilks first upset the world of Islam when he portrayed the Prophet Mohammed as a dog in a series of drawings in 2007, two years after the Jyllands-Posten drawings. 

Since then he has received numerous threats and lived under police protection. A plot failed to kill him in 2009 and there have been several more since.

Close brush for theatre group 
Krudttønden is well known to internationals in Denmark as the venue of choice of several English-language theatre groups.

One of them, That Theatre, were rehearsing for their forthcoming play earlier today, but had already left before the attack, their founder Ian Burns confirmed by Facebook.