– The murderer was an IS sympathizer – VG

The attack began in the 1920s on the Seitenstettengasse in the center of the Austrian capital, Vienna, where several suspects armed with rifles began firing around it.

According to the AP news agency, the shooting took place in a lively area where people enjoyed a last night in the open air before a new crown lock went into effect at midnight.

– This is the most difficult day for Austria in many years. We are dealing with a terrorist attack, says Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer at a press conference shortly after 01:00 on Tuesday night.

-Unfortunately, there are more deaths and more injuries, he continues.

A total of three people, two men and a woman, were killed in the attack, authorities said Tuesday morning. At least 15 people were also seriously injured, according to police.

In addition, the Austrian police shot and killed one of the alleged perpetrators on Monday night. The interior minister calls the man an Islamic terrorist and says he was equipped with an explosive belt.

According to police the pump belt was a fake.

The killer was an IS sympathizer, Interior Minister Nehammer said at a press conference Tuesday morning, adding that police have conducted several searches of the suspect’s home.

At least one of the perpetrators is still at large, and the Interior Minister tells the ORF-TV channel that he is “heavily armed and dangerous.” writes Reuters.

Please stay inside

Like the Interior Minister, the country’s Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz also refers to the shooting episodes as a terrorist attack.

– I want to thank all the emergency services who risk their lives, especially today, for our safety. The police will act clearly towards the perpetrators behind this cruel terrorist attack, write on Twitter.

On ZiB Spezial channel, the prime minister says the attackers were “very professional” in the way they were prepared, and that they had various weapons.

Police were quick to ask people to stay indoors after the first reports of shootings, and also asked people to avoid sharing videos and photos of what is happening on social media.

During the night of Monday, armed police asked pedestrians and cyclists to leave the city center, NTB writes. Cars were also asked to turn around. Helicopters were used and officials yelled at people to get off the streets and into buildings.

– Stay indoors and away from public places, the police write on Twitter at 23.20.

Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz claims that the country’s army is deployed to help stand guard to relieve the police.

Also on Tuesday, the people of Vienna were asked to stay home. Nor will there be compulsory schooling, so that parents can have their children at home.

He’s in Vienna: – It’s quite uncomfortable

Kenan Buhic (22) from Stavanger says he was heading to Stephansplatz, which is a ten-minute walk from Schwedenplatz, when he heard over the subway’s speaker system that several lines were closed.

He got out and continued toward the plaza on foot. He turned when he received a link from VG, heard the sirens and saw people start to walk away.

Buhic, who often studies in Germany, says he and a friend are now staying in a bar a mile from Stephansplatz.

– It’s going well, but it’s quite uncomfortable. It’s very strange, says Buhic.

Erna Solberg: – We must unite against hatred and violence.

The attack comes shortly after the attack on a church in Nice, France. French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron writes on Twitter that the French share the shock and grief of the Austrians.

– After France, a peaceful country has been attacked. This is our Europe. We will not give up, write.

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg offers the following condolences on Twitter:

– Cruel attacks in Vienna. My thoughts are with the victims, their families and the people of Austria. We must unite against hatred and violence.

It is unclear if the synagogue was the target

There is a Jewish community nearby where at least one of the shootings took place. It is unclear if this building was the target.

According to the leader of the Israeli religious community in Austria, Oskar Deutsch, the synagogue and the Seitenstettengasse offices were closed when the shooting began.

Although it is not clear that the ongoing attack in Vienna is targeting the city’s synagogue, Danish police have tightened security around the synagogues in Copenhagen. Several surrounding streets are blocked.

“We have taken some preventive security measures and increased preparedness for emergencies,” Deputy Police Inspector Rasmus Agerskov Schultz tells Danish news agency Ritzau.

Oslo police tell NTB that they are following the attack in Vienna continuously.

– The Oslo synagogue is an object with which the police already have a good dialogue in everyday life. We continually assess the situation and have increased our vigilance toward vulnerable objects, says Operations Manager Line Skott.