Copenhagen killer 'inspired by Paris attacks'

The suspected gunman who carried out the deadly Copenhagen attacks was a 22 year old with a history of violence and may have been inspired by the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris, Danish authorities have said.

The suspect, named in Danish news reports as Omar el-Hussein, was killed in a gun battle with a SWAT team early yesterday, hours after opening fire at a cultural centre hosting a seminar on free speech featuring an artist who had caricatured the Prophet Mohammed, then later outside a synagogue.