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.
