Several killed in bow and arrow attack in Norway

Five people were killed and at least two others injured during an attack in the Norwegian town of Kongsberg, according to police.

The suspected attacker was using a bow and arrow, a spokesperson for Norway's southeastern police district, which includes Kongsberg, told CNN on Wednesday. Kongsberg is located 85 kilometers (about 53 miles) west of capital city Oslo.

If you're just reading in, here's what we know about the attack:

The suspect: The attacker is believed to have acted alone. An arrest has been made and there is "no active search for more people," said Øyvind Aas, police chief of the county seat Drammen, in a news conference after the attack. The perpetrator "moved over a large area" while carrying out the attack, he said.

The investigation: Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a terror attack. "From the course of events, it is natural to consider whether this is an act of terrorism," Aas said.

"The apprehended person has not been questioned, and it is therefore too early to say anything about this and what was the person's motivation."

Attack described as a "cruel and brutal act": Erna Solberg, the country's outgoing prime minister, described the developments in Kongsberg as "gruesome" and promised that "all necessary resources" are being deployed. "The perpetrator has carried out horrific acts against several people. It is a very dramatic situation that has hit Kongsberg society hard, and the events shake us all," she said.

The attack comes on the eve of a new government in Norway, after last month's parliamentary elections unseated the long-ruling Conservative party. Labour leader Jonas Gahr Støre is due to assume the role of prime minister on Thursday.

In a Facebook post, Støre described the Kongsberg attack as a "cruel and brutal act."

Police given rare order: In the wake of the attack, Norwegian police across the country have been given the rare order to carry firearms as a precaution.

"Due to the serious incident in Kongsberg where several people were killed and injured tonight, the police in Norway are temporarily armed," the Norwegian Police directorate said in a statement on Wednesday.

"This is an additional emergency measure," the statement added. "The police currently have no concrete indications that there is a change in the threat level in the country."

Under Norwegian law, officers typically must have prior approval to carry firearms.

Read more about the attack here.

At least five people were killed by an attacker in Kongsberg, a spokesperson for Norway's southeastern police district told CNN on Wednesday.

Two people were also injured, among them an off-duty police officer, according to the spokesperson.

Drammen Police Chief Øyvind Aas said the off-duty officer was “in the store where the incident happened.” 

“He is now in hospital as is the other injured person," the chief said.

Acting Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg has called the deadly attack in Kongsberg “horrific,” adding that the violence has shook the country as a whole. 

“The perpetrator has carried out horrific acts against several people,” she said during a news conference addressing the attacks. “It is a very dramatic situation that has hit Kongsberg society hard, and the events shake us all.”

Solberg went on to explain police still cannot rule out the incident was not an act of terrorism.

“The messages coming from Kongsberg tonight are gruesome,” Solberg said. “And I understand that many are scared.”

Solberg added that police have “control over the situation,” adding that “all necessary resources” have been deployed to establish the motives behind the attack.

“Our thoughts go first and foremost to those affected and to those closest to them,” she said. 

The attack happened in the middle of the transition of administrations. Solberg formally resigned as Norway's prime minister yesterday. Incoming Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has been briefed on the attack and takes office later this week.

Norwegian police officers have been told to carry firearms as a precaution following the deadly attack in Kongsberg.

“This is an additional emergency measure,” the statement added. “The police currently have no concrete indications that there is a change in the threat level in the country.”

Some background: Norwegian police do not normally carry firearms but officers have access to guns and rifles when needed.

The law states that security officials must have prior approval before using them: "Only officials with valid approval may be armed, unless the situation is assumed to require immediate armed action to prevent or stop the use of force against a person, and approved personnel will not be available in time."

Norwegian authorities say it is "natural" to assume that the attack in Kongsberg could have been an act of terrorism, but they say it is still “too early to say” for sure. 

“From the course of events, it is natural to consider whether this is an act of terrorism,” Drammen Police Chief Øyvind Aas told journalists during a news conference on Wednesday.

Norwegian police believe a man who carried out a deadly attack with a bow and arrow in the town of Kongsberg acted alone.

One man has been arrested and there is “no active search for more people,” Drammen Police Chief Øyvind Aas said during a news conference in Kongsberg.

The suspect “moved over a large area” while carrying out the attack, which left a number of people dead on Wednesday, Aas said.

“Unfortunately, we can confirm that there are several injured and several killed as a result of the action. The injured have been taken to hospital for treatment. The Kongsberg municipality has been notified and has set up crisis teams to assist and follow up with those who need it,” he said. 

Police in Norway will be temporarily allowed to carry firearms following the attack, according to the Norwegian Police Directorate.

“This is an additional emergency measure. The police currently have no concrete indications that there is a change in the threat level in the country,” the agency tweeted.

“The Norwegian Minister of Justice and Emergency Management Monica Mæland has been informed of the situation in Kongsberg and is following it closely,” the Norwegian Ministry of Justice said in a tweet on Wednesday.

No additional details were provided.

The attacker suspected of killing and injuring several people in the Norwegian town of Kongsberg used a bow and arrow, a spokesperson for the Kongsberg police department told CNN on Wednesday. 

The spokesperson said police were first alerted to the suspect at 6:15 p.m. local time. He added that the suspect attacked people at several locations before he was arrested. 

When asked about the number of casualties, the spokesperson said, “We simply can’t confirm any numbers right now.” 

He also said it was “too early to say” what the motivation for the attack was.

“That is what the investigation will reveal,” the spokesperson added.

Several people have been killed and several more were injured by an attacker in the Norwegian town of Kongsberg, 85 kilometers (nearly 53 miles) west of the capital city Oslo, a spokesperson for Norwegian Police told CNN on Wednesday.

The spokesperson was unable to say how many people had been killed or injured but said a suspect had been arrested and that the situation was under control.

When asked if the situation was being treated as terrorism, the spokesperson said it was “not clear as of yet, it’s too early to tell.”