A shooting outside Örebro Mosque during Friday prayers left two people injured. The incident, believed to be linked to gang crime, has prompted a crisis meeting by the mosque's board. The mosque remains closed as police investigate.
Shooting Outside Örebro Mosque: Two Injured Amidst Friday Prayers
Shooting Outside Örebro Mosque: Two Injured Amidst Friday Prayers
Hundreds of mosque-goers were leaving Friday prayers when gunfire erupted outside. Two individuals were hit and transported to the hospital by ambulance.
"It's sad that people have been hurt. It's not pleasant to experience something like this," says Mazen Muwaffak, a contact person at the mosque.
Nearly 1,000 people had gathered at Örebro Mosque for the major Friday prayer in the afternoon, according to Mazen Muwaffak.
"It's usually very popular around weekends, so there were many of us in the building."
Mazen Muwaffak and other mosque visitors were exiting the building shortly after the prayer ended when they suddenly heard loud bangs.
"I was maybe 50 meters away from the shooter, but there were many people in front of me, so I couldn't see everything that happened. I heard the shots and saw everyone start to run."
"Heard Five, Six Shots"
The shooting occurred just outside the entrance, and the shooter stood a few meters in front of the mosque's parking lot, he estimates.
"I heard him fire maybe five, six shots in succession. Then he ran away."
Mazen Muwaffak, who works for the mosque, has already encountered upset reactions from several mosque members following the incident.
"It's tough, of course. The area and the mosque are now cordoned off, but we'll see when the police reopen it. Then we'll see what emotions the members bring."
Police initially assess that the shooting is linked to gang crime and not directly related to the mosque.
Two people were shot and taken to the hospital by ambulance.
Mosque Holds Crisis Meeting
"It's sad that people have been hurt. It's not pleasant to experience something like this, even if it wasn't directed at the mosque," says Mazen Muwaffak.
On Friday afternoon, the mosque's board held a crisis meeting to plan how to manage operations moving forward.
The mosque urges its members in a press release to pray at home in the evening, as the site remains cordoned off.
At the same time, they express their gratitude to everyone who helped during the incident.
"We want to thank our members who quickly arrived and performed CPR until the ambulance came. We want to thank the emergency services for their tremendous effort. We pray to Allah that those injured will recover."