Who was Copenhagen terror suspect Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein?

Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein who was shot dead by the police on Saturday

The gunman suspected of killing two people after opening fire on a free speech debate and a synagogue in Copenhagen on Saturday was identified on Sunday as 22-year-old Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein, a Danish national with a history of gang violence.

Copenhagen police said the alleged terrorist, who was killed in a shootout with officers in the early hours of yesterday morning, had previously been convicted of “several crimes” including assault and the possession of weapons.

Jens Madsen, the head of Denmark’s security service, said he may have been “inspired by militant Islamist propaganda issued by IS [Islamic State] and other terror organisations”. It is not yet known whether he travelled to Iraq or Syria before the attacks.

Police refused to confirm the man’s identity, which was reported by Danish media. The newspaper Ekstra Bladet claimed that El-Hussein had recently been released from prison. At around 3.30pm on Saturday, the gunman, dressed in a heavy overcoat and wearing a maroon mask, is believed to have opened fire on Copenhagen’s Krudttønden café while a debate featuring the controversial Swedish artist Lars Vilks was being held. Witnesses said he fired around 40 shots.

Film director Finn Norgaard, 55, who was attending the event, was reportedly shot dead at close range before the gunman escaped in a car, which was later found abandoned. Three police officers were also injured.

More than nine hours later, at around 1am, the same man is thought to have shot 37-year-old Dan Uzan in the head as he guarded Copenhagen’s largest synagogue in a different part of the city. Two more police officers were also injured.

The suspected killer was eventually shot dead as he returned to an address in the city’s Norrebro district, after exchanging shots with officers who had been lying in wait.

Police also found a weapon in a nearby apartment, believed to belong to the gunman, which he may have used in the first attack. He was carrying two other guns when he was killed.

More: Copenhagen shootings: What we do and do not know