DailyMail
Terror suspect named as Iran-born plumber and ex-refugee Zaniar Matapour, 42
School dropout diagnosed with schizophrenia, PTSD and ‘delusions’
Two were killed and 21 more injured at gay bar shooting; ten seriously wounded
State security services last spoke with Matapour a month ago, but found no issue
Norway terror threat raised to ‘extraordinary’ – but Pride crowds defiantly gather
The terror suspect charged with killing two people and injuring 21 more at an Oslo gay bar last night has been named as a 42-year-old ex-plumber born in Iran. Zaniar Matapour was born in Iranian Kurdistan before coming to Bergen, Norway as a refugee at the age of 12. He was charged early this morning with two murders, attempted murder and terrorism after the homophobic terror attack at city centre LGBT+ haunt London Pub. The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) investigated Matapour just a month ago, but decided he was ‘not an imminent threat’, Norwegian national broadcaster VG reported. PST chief Roger Berg told a press conference this afternoon: ‘In May, the PST conducted interviews with the [suspected] perpetrator in connection with the fact he had shown interest in statements that are perceived as a violation of Islam. ‘It was not considered in these conversations that the [suspected] perpetrator had any intention of violence.’ Security services have raised the terror threat from Level 3, described as ‘ordinary’. to ‘extraordinary’ Level 5. The PST stated that Level 5 warning entails no special requirements among the population beyond added ‘vigilance’ and ‘a low threshold to contact the police’. Videos shared to social media showed hundreds of Pride marchers gathering in Oslo nonetheless, seemingly spurred on by last night’s alleged hate crime. A secondary school dropout with a long history of mental health issues, Matapour was sentenced to ten months in prison as a teen after he was tied to a stabbing at a school prom.
