Dutch LGBTQ rights group appalled at Oslo gay club shooting

The COC is shocked by the shooting in the Norwegian capital Oslo, in which two visitors to a gay nightclub were killed. Twenty-one people have been injured, 10 of whom are in serious condition.

The Dutch LGBTQ rights group called the shooting "awful and unimaginable." Norwegian police are investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism.

"Our thoughts are with the victims, their relatives and the LGBTI community in Norway. It seems that the people have been murdered for who they are. Everyone is shocked, angry and sad. But at the same time there is also a feeling of militancy, of 'we as a community will not be intimidated and pushed back into the closet'," a COC spokesperson said.

The suspected perpetrator has been arrested. He is a 42-year-old Norwegian of Iranian descent and known to the police. It is not yet clear what his motive was. The suspect's mental health is being examined.

Several shots were fired just outside the London Pub early Saturday morning. An eyewitness told the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet that he heard "15 to 20 shots," sparking panic and sending people running.

Following the shooting incident, the Pride parade that was to be held in Oslo on Saturday has been canceled.