Photo: People were seen running after a truck crashed into the mall earlier this afternoon
'At least five people dead' after truck crashes into a
group of pedestrians in Stockholm shopping centre and gunman opens fire
By Isobel Frodsham and Abe Hawken
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
Up to five people are believed to have been killed when a stolen truck rammed into shoppers in Stockholm today.
Police said the vehicle crashed into a group of people on
the street outside a shopping centre.
Shots were heard being fired and the driver, who was
wearing a balaclava, is said to have escaped, according to witnesses.
There were also reports of shots at a second incident.
A Swedish radio reporter said she had seen at least five
dead bodies, Aftonbladet reported.
The truck is understood to have been stolen or hijacked
from a Spendrups brewery.
The incident took place at Ahlens Mall in
Klarabergsgatan.
Prime Minister Stefan Löfven immediately confirmed that
the incident was a terror attack.
Hundreds of shoppers were seen fleeing for their lives
after the articulated truck rammed into the corner of the building.
Armed police were scrambled to the scene and were seen
marching into the store.
Police spokeswoman Towe Hagg said: 'A vehicle has injured
people on Drottningatan.'
Police have also said this is a suspected terrorist
incident.
Witnesses described seeing a 'lone man' put a balaclava
over his face before he drove the drunk into crowds of people.
White substance was seen being sprayed on to the vehicle
earlier today.
Anna who witnessed the incident, said: 'I saw hundreds of
people ran, they ran for their lives.
'I turned and ran as well.'
Eyewitness Jan Granroth was inside a shoe shop when he
heard screams.
He told Swedish daily paper Aftonbladet: 'We stood inside
a shoe store and people started screaming.
'So I looked out of the store and I saw a huge truck slam
into the wall opposite.'
Mr Granroth managed to escape after running through an
emergency exit.
Another witness, called Dimitris, described the panic and
saw 'at least' two people being run over.
He said: I went to the main street when a big truck came
out of nowhere. I could not see if anyone was driving it but it got out of
control.
'I saw at least two being run over - I ran as fast as I
could.'
A woman, called Anna, witnessed the incident and
described seeing 'hundreds of people running for their lives'.
She said: 'I turned and ran after seeing hundreds of
people running, they ran for their lives.'
Shocking video footage showed hundreds of terrified
shoppers sprint for their lives after the truck rammed into pedestrians.
Just moments after the suspected terrorist incident,
armed police wearing gas masks quickly rushed to the scene and shut off the
busy road in the centre of the capital.
Maria Nathalie was on the top floor of the store when the
fire alarm was triggered.
Speaking on the phone, she told NBC: 'People started
running down the stairs when the fire alarm started.
'When we came down to the bottom of the building all we
could see was a lot of smoke.'
This comes after trucks were used in terror attacks in
Nice and Berlin last year. A car was also used to kill pedestrians in the
Westminster Bridge two weeks ago which killed five people.
MORE NEWS
Trump's debut as commander-in-chief
By Mike Allen
Truth is: Trump, for months, has been telling people in
private to expect an unexpectedly harsh response to Syrian aggression.
The attack had the ancillary effect of separating Trump
from Putin, who views the the strikes as "aggression against a sovereign
state in violation of the norms of international law," and believes the
attack was done under a "trumped-up pretext," according to his
spokesman.
Trump aides say they're proud of his decision. A senior
administration official gave me this window into the president's thinking:
The White House sees this as "leadership week":
the decision to order a missile strike on Syria after its deadly nerve-agent
attack on its own citizens, including children; a prime-time announcement to
the nation from Mar-a-Lago last night, in which Trump said, "God bless
America and the entire world"; his assertive stance on North Korea, with
the rogue state testing him by firing a ballistic missile; and meetings with
the heads of state of Egypt, Jordan and, continuing today, China.
Trump had said Wednesday that the chemical attack
"crossed a lot of lines for me ... innocent children, innocent babies —
babies, little babies." The official said: "Nothing clarifies the
mind like seeing those images."
The official said that in his response to the grim,
moving photos, Trump was acting partly as a father and a grandfather. As he
said said on the campaign trail, he consulted his generals. He took the
briefings, discussed the options, then acted after "years of
dithering" by the United States, the official added.
From Trump's three-minute statement to the nation from
Mar-a-Lago at 9:40 p.m.: "Tonight, I call on all civilized nations to join
us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria, and also to end
terrorism of all kinds and all types. We ask for God's wisdom as we face the
challenge of our very troubled world. We pray for the lives of the wounded and
for the souls of those who have passed.
"And we hope that as long as America stands for
justice, then peace and harmony will, in the end, prevail. Good night. And God
bless America and the entire world. Thank you."
_________________
After bruising and historic battle, US Senate confirms
Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court on Friday, filling the critical ninth
seat that has been vacant for over a year.
The 54-45 vote came after Senate
Republicans changed the rules to no longer require a super majority.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/07/gorsuch-confirmed-to-supreme-court.html
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/07/gorsuch-confirmed-to-supreme-court.html
