:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/IUU2EU64HLVA4TXKGD6H5YTGKA.jpg)
A man stormed into a Zurich mosque and opened fire on people praying on Monday evening, injuring three people, police said.
Two of the three men - aged 30, 35 and 56 years - were seriously injured, Zurich city police said.
The suspect, a man about the age of 30, had fled the mosque, which is frequented by Somalis, police said.
Police said a body was found nearby, but could not comment on any link to the shootings while investigations were still under way.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/IHCWIAA2RIYVIBCBLNTDWJGYCI.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/4CMBVQHV2ZRZRS4PW64XPNAFHM.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/U34XMD7K3UMZ3GQKH5KMCBHHPM.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/2K2WO4MN24ELFJ4GP3XSO3N5WY.jpg)
Police said they had collected evidence inside the building and could not further comment on the motive or the suspect’s background.
He was wearing dark clothing and a dark wool cap, they said.
The incident occurred on Zurich’s Eisgasse, near the main train station in Switzerland’s financial capital.
Police were seen standing near the entrance of a building, where the Islamic centre and several businesses are registered.
Three police vehicles and one ambulance were at the scene shortly before 7pm (5.50pm GMT), while one ambulance had just driven away, a Reuters witness said.
Demographics
Across Switzerland, two-thirds of its 8.3 million residents identify as Christians.
However, the nation has been wrestling with the role of Islam, as its Muslim population has risen to 5 per cent with the arrival of immigrants from former Yugoslavia.
In 2009, a nationwide vote backed a constitutional ban on new minarets.
Reuters