Norway attack suspect converted to Islam and was suspected of radicalization

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Norway attack suspect converted to Islam and was suspected of radicalization, police say

(CNN)The suspect in the Norway bow-and-arrow attack had converted to Islam and police were in contact with him before the killings on Wednesday over concerns about radicalization, police chief Ole Bredrup Sæverud said Thursday.

A 37-year-old Danish citizen who was living in Norway was arrested and charged over the attack in the town of Kongsberg, but police have not disclosed what charges he is facing.

"The police have previously been in contact with the man, including as a result of previous concerns related to radicalization," Sæverud told a news conference.

The suspect had not appeared on their radar this year though, Sæverud indicated, saying the police had "received no reports in 2021 regarding radicalization."

Four women and one man were killed in the attack. "We have some information about the five people who died. There are four women and a man, no one has been formally identified yet. It will take some time. They are all aged 50 to 70 years," Sæverud said.

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