COPENHAGEN, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt said here Saturday that the shooting in the afternoon was a political assassination, and thus an act of terrorism, according to the Danish news agency Ritazu.
One man was killed and three police officers were wounded at the shooting, which occurred at a cultural center in the capital city's Oesterbro district.
French Ambassador to Denmark Francois Zimeray and Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks were among the participants to the meeting at the center, which is under the name of "Art, Blasphemy and Freedom of Expression."
The police said they suspected that the shooting was against Vilks, who has aroused anger in religious circles with a drawing of Prophet Mohammed as a dog.
At a press conference, a Copenhagen police spokesman said that given Vilk's participation, it is very natural to assume that the shooting was a terror attack and it is being investigated as such.
A press release from the Danish Security and Intelligence Agency (PET) said the shooting seemed planned.
"Everything points toward this being planned and the circumstances surrounding the shooting point toward a terror attack," PET said in the press release.
In the statement released after the shooting, Thorning-Schmidt said she was deeply angry with the shooting.
"We will do everything to find the guilty parties and bring them before a court," she said, adding that the authorities' first priority now is to catch the perpetrators.
"We have some tough days ahead of us in which our solidarity will be tested. But in Denmark, we will never yield to violence," the prime minister said.
Copenhagen police initially suspected there were two gunmen involved, but later said they believed just one gunman was behind the shooting.
According to a photo and description released by the police, the suspected gunman is a 25-30 year-old with an Arabic appearance.
Hunting for the gunman is ongoing as police are out in full force across the country.
