Kongsberg attack

2021 mass stabbing in Norway

Kongsberg attack

Kongsberg

Kongsberg (Buskerud)

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Kongsberg

Kongsberg (Norway)

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Kongsberg

Kongsberg (Europe)

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Location| Kongsberg, Buskerud, Norway
Date| 13 October 2021
c. 18:12 – 18:47 (CEST UTC+02:00)

Attack type

| Mass stabbing, spree killing, mass murder
Weapons|

* Bow and arrow
* Two bladed weapons

Deaths| 5
Injured| 3
Perpetrator| Espen Andersen Bråthen[a]
Motive| Likely mental illness[1] caused by psychotic delusions[2]
Convictions| Murder

On 13 October 2021, a man attacked eight people with various weapons – including a bow and arrow – at locations in Kongsberg, Buskerud, Norway, a town about 70 kilometres (43 mi) southwest of the capital city Oslo. Five people were killed, and three others were injured. The accused, identified as Espen Andersen Bråthen,[a] a 37-year-old Danish citizen born in Norway and with a history of mental illness,[3] was taken into custody on the same day and charged with murder. Although he pleaded guilty, in June 2022, a court determined his mental illness meant he could not be held criminally responsible for his actions, and he was sentenced to psychiatric confinement.[4][5]

## Attack

[edit]

Police were first notified of a person walking around Kongsberg with a bow and arrows in a quiver on his shoulder at 18:12 CEST.[6][7][8] Upon receiving the first calls, a patrol was quickly sent to the location of the attack, followed by three others.[7] Armed officers first confronted the perpetrator six minutes after the first calls, but he shot several arrows at them and escaped. Afterwards, he committed the attack and killed his victims, according to the police chief.[9][10]

The perpetrator is said to have first started attacking people inside a Coop Extra supermarket in Kongsberg and then moved over a large area.[6] Police said that he first started firing arrows at people but constantly missed, that he used two other weapons in addition to the bow and arrow, and that all of the fatalities were a result of stabbings rather than arrow shots, as he discarded or lost his bow at some point during the attack.[11][12][13] At least one non-fatal injury was attributed to an arrow shot into a man's back.[14] Pictures have been published of arrows lodged in walls at the scene.[15] The perpetrator left the store and continued his attacks in the street and at a residential area.[16]

As the attack continued, police cordoned off several parts of Kongsberg.[9] An arrest was eventually made at 18:47, 35 minutes after the attack began; explaining the delay of the arrest, a police official described the situation as "confusing".[8][15][17][18] A warning shot was fired at the time of the arrest, according to the police chief.[7][9][10] By the time of the arrest, the attack had spurred a large emergency response including 22 heavily armed police patrols, more than ten ambulances, and two helicopters.[7][17] The attack was the deadliest in Norway since those committed by Anders Behring Breivik a decade earlier.[8][19][20]

## Victims

[edit]

Five people were killed in the attack, and three others were injured. The five killed were four women and one man;[8] two of them were 75 years old, another two were aged 78 and 56,[21] and the fifth was 52-year-old German musician and writer Andrea Haugen.[22] They were killed in either their own homes or in public spaces.[13] The three survivors did not sustain life-threatening injuries;[23] one of them was an off-duty police officer.[24] The investigation indicated that the victims were all attacked in different locations.[25]

## Investigation

[edit]

The suspect was taken to a police station in Drammen, where his defence lawyer said he was questioned for more than three hours, was co-operating with authorities,[9] and has confessed to the attack.[26] Police then moved the suspect to the custody of health services on 14 October pending a psychiatric evaluation.[27][28] He was charged for the murders of five people and for injuring several others.[29] The Norwegian Police Security Service launched a terrorism investigation, but officers were focusing on a broad range of motives.[18][30][31] In light of the suspect's Danish citizenship, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Danish authorities would work with Norway on the investigation.[9] In a press conference on 16 October, police said they were also investigating the mental state of the suspect.[32][33] A total of 140 witnesses were questioned in relation to the attack.[16]

## Perpetrator

[edit]

The perpetrator is Danish citizen Espen Andersen Bråthen (born 1983).[19][34] He was born in Norway to a Norwegian father and a Danish mother and had lived his entire life in Norway.[8][35] Bråthen was living in Kongsberg at the time of the attack.[36] He had several prior criminal convictions for break-ins, cannabis possession, and death threats against family members.[36] Bråthen was known to the police, who said he had converted to Islam around 2016.[9][37] The imam of Kongsberg's mosque reported that Bråthen told him he had a "revelation" without adding anything more. The imam said he did not appear dangerous.[38]

Police were first made aware of him in 2015 and had last been in contact with Bråthen in 2020; they had been concerned about his possible extremist views.[9][11] In 2017, a childhood friend reported Bråthen to police after he posted two videos online, in which he said he was a Muslim and came with a warning. The friend believed that he was posing a threat.[38][39] After investigating the videos and interrogating Bråthen about them, police determined the statements made in them did not involve any criminal threats.[40] In 2018, police notified health services about him, but they determined that he was unlikely to commit a terrorist attack.[11] Bråthen did not appear on their radar in 2021.[7] The police stated that Bråthen's conversion was an unlikely motive for the attack, and instead indicated mental illness as possible motivator.[1][41]

## Aftermath

[edit]

Norwegian police officers, who are usually unarmed, were ordered to temporarily carry firearms nationwide after the attack.[17] However, there was no change to the national threat level in the country.[17] Questions were raised by residents and Norwegian media about the inability of police to stop the attack during their first confrontation with the perpetrator; officers in Norway are trained to immediately respond to an ongoing incident without waiting for other units.[10][42][43]

## Trial

[edit]

The trial started on 18 May 2022 in Hokksund district court.[44] Bråthen was charged with the murder of five people and attempted murder of 11 more.[45]

The forensic psychiatrists Harald Brauer, Helge Haugerud, and Knut-Petter Langlo had examined Espen Andersen Bråthen. Their report diagnosed Bråthen with a mental illness, and claims he was psychotic at the time of the attack and during observation, rendering Bråthen not criminally responsible.[2]

On 24 June 2022, Bråthen was convicted in the attack but the court found that he was unfit for punishment under Norwegian law due to chronic paranoid schizophrenia and was therefore ordered to compulsory mental health care. This was the result that both the prosecution and the defense had requested.[46]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b In some non-Norwegian sources, Bråthen is spelled as "Brathen" or "Braathen".

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Kongsberg attack: Norwegian police cast doubt on Islamist motive". DW. 16 October 2021. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
2. ^ a b "Sør-Øst Kongsberg". Politiet (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
3. ^ "Politiet om Kongsberg-siktede: – Hypotesen om konvertering er svekket". Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
4. ^ "Norwegian sentenced to psychiatric care after bow-and-arrow murders". Express & Star (UK. 24 June 2022. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
5. ^ "Norway court sentences man after knife and arrow attack". RTE News. 24 June 2022. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
6. ^ a b Skogstrøm, Lene; Johansen, Per Anders; Stolt-Nielsen, Harald; Aas, Odd Inge; Espedal, Jan Tomas; Hansen, Wild Bratland; Kallelid, Magnus (13 October 2021). "Fem personer ble drept og tre er skadet i Kongsberg, opplyser politiet" [Five people were killed and three are injured in Kongsberg, the police say.]. Aftenposten (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
7. ^ a b c d e Frater, James; Smith-Spark, Laura (14 October 2021). "Suspect in Norway attack named as police say they're treating it as terrorism". CNN. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
8. ^ a b c d e "Kongsberg: Five dead in Norway bow and arrow attack". BBC News. 14 October 2021. Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
9. ^ a b c d e f g "Kongsberg: Bow and arrow attack appears to be terrorism – officials". BBC News. 14 October 2021. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
10. ^ a b c Grimstad, Tonje; Radøy, Sverre Tom; Solheim, Simon; Sunday, Martin HW; Aune, Richard (14 October 2021). "Politiet til NRK: Drapsmannen stakk av da første patrulje ventet på verneutstyr" [NRK police: The killer ran away when the first patrol was waiting for protective equipment] (in Norwegian Bokmål). Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
11. ^ a b c Døvik, Olav; Sunday, Martin HW; Honningsøy, Kirsti Haga (15 October 2021). "PST forsvarer vurderingen av siktede: – Han har klart å utøve mer vold enn vi vurderte" [PST defends the assessment of the accused: - He has managed to commit more violence than we considered]. Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
12. ^ "Norway attack victims stabbed not shot with arrows, say police". The Guardian. 18 October 2021. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
13. ^ a b "Norway attack: Victims killed with 'sharp object', not arrows". BBC News. 18 October 2021. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
14. ^ "Norway attacks: Kongsberg bow and arrow killings witness heard 'a death cry that burned into the soul'". Sky News. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
15. ^ a b Cotovio, Vasco; Frater, James; Kolirin, Lianne (13 October 2021). "Suspect charged after 5 killed in bow and arrow attack in Norway, police say". CNN. Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
16. ^ a b Jørstad, Runar Henriksen; Sunday, Martin HW; Thommessen, Julia Kirsebom; Olsson, Svein Vestrum (18 October 2021). "Politiet om Kongsberg-siktede: La fra seg pil og bue – drepte med stikkvåpen" [Police about Kongsberg accused: Abandoned bow and arrow - killed with stabbing weapons] (in Norwegian Bokmål). Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
17. ^ a b c d Solsvik, Terje; Klesty, Victoria (13 October 2021). "5 people killed in Norway bow and arrow attacks, police say". Reuters. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
18. ^ a b "Norway attack: Killer held in medical custody amid mental health investigation". BBC News. 15 October 2021. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
19. ^ a b Neuman, Scott (14 October 2021). "Norwegian authorities say a deadly bow-and-arrow attack appears to be terrorism". NPR. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
20. ^ Klesty, Victoria; Buli, Nora (14 October 2021). "Norway bow-and-arrow attack appears to be 'act of terror' – police". Reuters. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
21. ^ Vinkel, Emma (16 October 2021). "Kongsberg-angrebet: Her er ofrene" [The Kongsberg attack: Here are the victims]. Seoghoer (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
22. ^ "Navnene på de drepte på Kongsberg offentliggjort av politiet" [The names of those killed in Kongsberg published by the police]. Dagsavisen (in Norwegian Bokmål). 16 October 2021. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
23. ^ Skjetne, Oda Leraan (14 October 2021). "Politiet: Tre skadede i Kongberg" [Police: Three injured in Kongsberg]. vg.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
24. ^ "Norway bow-and-arrow attack: 5 killed, 2 hurt in Kongsberg attack, 1 man arrested" (video). France 24. 14 October 2021. Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
25. ^ Johansen, Per Anders; Espedal, Jan Tomas; Trædal, Torkjell J.; Veberg, Anders; Hansen, Wild Bratland (14 October 2021). "Angrepet i Kongsberg: Nå spør folk seg hvorfor det tok 34 minutter før den siktede ble tatt" [The attack in Kongsberg: Now people wonder why it took 34 minutes before the accused was taken] (in Norwegian Bokmål). Aftenposten. Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
26. ^ Flores, Juan; Tanaka, Sofia (14 October 2021). "Norska säkerhetspolisen: Framstår som ett terrordåd" [Norwegian security police: Appears as an act of terrorism]. Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
27. ^ "Norway attack: Bow and arrow rampage may have been 'triggered by suspect's illness', police say". Sky News. 15 October 2021. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
28. ^ "Norway: Bow-and-arrow attacker handed over to health services". Deutsche Welle. 15 October 2021. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
29. ^ Kalajdzic, Pedja; Kristensen, Mette; Asvall, Halldor; Aune, Richard; Døvik, Olav; Alnes, Espen; Grimstad, Tonje; Holm-Nilsen, Sverre; Hotvedt, Signe Karin; Sunday, Martin HW (14 October 2021). "Kongsbergdrapene: Tok seg inn i boliger og drepte" [The Kongsberg murders: Took into homes and killed]. Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
30. ^ Henley, Jon (13 October 2021). "Norway bow and arrow attacks: Danish citizen held as death toll reaches five". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
31. ^ Tanner, Jari (14 October 2021). "Norway Mourns Bow-And-Arrow Victims, Recalls 2011 Attack". ABC News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
32. ^ Bazaz, Rahand (16 October 2021). "Norske muslimer reagerer på politiets islam-kommentar: – Det er veldig vondt" [Norwegian Muslims react to the police's Islamic comment: – It hurts a lot] (in Norwegian Bokmål). Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
33. ^ "Kongsberg attack: Norwegian police cast doubt on Islamist motive". Deutsche Welle. 16 October 2021. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
34. ^ Røset, Hanna Haug; Haram, Ola; Quist, Christina; Hopperstad, Morten S.; Sandnes, Ådne Husby; Tommelstad, Bjørnar; Andersen, Gordon; Skjetne, Oda Leraan (14 October 2021). "Espen Andersen Bråthen (37) siktet for massedrapene på Kongsberg" [Espen Andersen Bråthen (37) charged with the massacres at Kongsberg] (in Norwegian Bokmål). Verdens Gang. Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
35. ^ Røset, Hanna Haug; Sandnes, Ådne Husby; Quist, Christina; Haram, Ola; Tommelstad, Bjørnar; Hopperstad, Morten S.; Elgaaen, Wild; Andersen, Gordon (14 October 2021). "Kongsberg-siktet (37) truet faren på livet – ilagt besøksforbud" [The Kongsberg accused (37) threatened his father with life – imposed a restraining order]. Verdens Gang (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
36. ^ a b Mjaaland, Ola; Svendsen, Christine; Skille, Øyvind Bye; Solheim, Simon; Døvik, Olav; Kalajdzic, Pedja; Jørstad, Runar Henriksen; Tahir, Ali Iqbal; Holm-Nilsen, Sverre; Sunday, Martin HW; Ali, Intisaar (14 October 2021). "Espen Andersen Bråthen siktet for drapene i Kongsberg" [Espen Andersen Bråthen charged with the murders in Kongsberg] (in Norwegian Bokmål). NRK. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
37. ^ Stokke, Olga; Espedal, Jan Tomas (14 October 2021). "Moskéleder i Kongsberg: – Plutselig kom han og sa: "jeg er muslim"" [Mosque leader in Kongsberg: - Suddenly he came and said: "I am a Muslim"] (in Norwegian Bokmål). Aftenposten. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
38. ^ a b Hotvedt, Signe Karin (14 October 2021). "Moskeen på Kongsberg vurderte å varsle politiet: – Han var ikkje oppteken av islam" [The mosque at Kongsberg considered notifying the police: - He was not a record of Islam] (in Norwegian Bokmål). Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
39. ^ Kolberg, Marit; Tahir, Ali Iqbal (14 October 2021). "Barndomsvenn varslet politiet om Kongsberg-drapsmann i 2017 – fryktet liv kunne gå tapt" [Childhood friend alerted police about Kongsberg killer in 2017 – feared lives could be lost]. Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
40. ^ Stokke, Olga; Iversen, Birgitte (15 October 2021). "PST-vurdering i 2018: Mulighet for at Bråthen kunne utføre et lavskala angrep" [PST assessment in 2018: Possibility that Bråthen could carry out a low-scale attack] (in Norwegian Bokmål). Aftenposten. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
41. ^ "Tiltalen etter Kongsberg-drapene klar – legger ned påstand om tvungent psykisk helsevern". 22 April 2022. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
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44. ^ Brekke, Cecilie Valentine (18 February 2022). "Kongsberg-drapene: Siktede Espen Andersen Bråthen har en psykisk lidelse". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
45. ^ Quist, Christina; Elgaaen, Vilde; Mikaelsen, Helge. "Bråthen om Kongsberg-angrepet: − Jeg angrer veldig". www.vg.no. Verdens Gang. Archived from the original on 19 May 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
46. ^ "Norwegian man convicted of killing 5 in bow-and-arrow attack". AP NEWS. 24 June 2022. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.

* v
* t
* e

Mass stabbing incidents in the 2020s

2020|

* London, England (2 Feb)
* Romans-sur-Isère, France (4 Apr)
* Knoxville, Tennessee, US (7 Apr)
* Reading, England (20 Jun)
* Glasgow, Scotland (26 Jun)
* Manchester, England (26 Jul)
* Paris, France (25 Sep)
* Nice, France (29 Oct)
* Quebec City, Canada (31 Oct)
* Kaiyuan, China (27 Dec)

2021|

* Vetlanda, Sweden (3 Mar)
* Vancouver, Canada (27 Mar)
* Saudades, Brazil (4 May)
* Dunedin, New Zealand (10 May)
* Anqing, China (5 Jun)
* Würzburg, Germany (25 Jun)
* Tokyo, Japan (6 Aug)
* Auckland, New Zealand (3 Sep)
* Sheffield, England (19 Sep)
* Kongsberg, Norway (13 Oct)

2022|

* Djugu, DR Congo (2 Feb)
* Beersheba, Israel (22 Mar)
* Mashhad, Iran (5 Apr)
* London, England (25 Apr)
* El'ad, Israel (5 May)
* Saskatchewan, Canada (4 Sep)
* Nong Bua Lamphu, Thailand (6 Oct)
* Las Vegas, Nevada, US (6 Oct)
* Brussels, Belgium (10 Nov)
* Ariel, West Bank (11 Nov)
* Moscow, Idaho, US (13 Nov)

2023|

* Algeciras, Spain (25 Jan)
* Brokstedt, Germany (25 Jan)
* Lisbon, Portugal (28 Mar)
* Blumenau, Brazil (5 Apr)
* Bodmin, England (30 Apr)
* Annecy, France (8 Jun)
* Nottingham, England (13 Jun)
* Mpondwe, Uganda (16 Jun)
* Jerez, Spain (23 Sep)
* Arras, France (13 Oct)
* Los Angeles, California, US (1 Nov)
* Crépol, France (19 Nov)
* Dublin, Ireland (23 Nov)
* Paris, France (2 Dec)

2024|

* Rizhao, China (10 Feb)
* Ottawa, Canada (6 Mar)
* Guadalajara, Mexico (6 Mar)
* Rockford, Illinois, US (27 Mar)
* Sydney, Australia (13 Apr)
* Sydney, Australia (15 Apr)
* Ammanford, Wales (24 Apr)
* Taichung, Taiwan (21 May)
* Mannheim, Germany (31 May)
* Southport, England (29 July)
* Eskişehir, Turkey (12 Aug)
* Solingen, Germany (23 Aug)
* Shanghai, China (30 Sep)
* Yixing, China (16 Nov)
* Port-au-Prince, Haiti (5 Dec)
* Zagreb, Croatia (20 Dec)

2025|

* Spišská Stará Ves, Slovakia (16 Jan)
* Aschaffenburg, Germany (22 Jan)
* Villach, Austria (15 Feb)
* Mulhouse, France (22 Feb)
* Amsterdam, Netherlands (27 Mar)
* Duhok, Iraq (1 Apr)
* Belize City, Belize (17 Apr)
* Nantes, France (24 Apr)
* Bielefeld, Germany (18 May)
* Hamburg, Germany (23 May)
* Traverse City, Michigan, US (26 July)

2010s

* v
* t
* e

Terrorism and mass shootings in Norway

Incidents|

* 1979 Oslo bombing [no] (1979)
* Oslo Central Station bombing (1982)
* Nor mosque bombing [no] (1985)
* Farsund shooting (1988)
* Norway attacks (2011)
* Oslo shooting (2022)

Aircraft hijackings|

* Braathens SAFE Flight 139 (1985)
* Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 347 (1994)
* Hemus Air Flight 7081 (1996)

Plots and failed attempts|

* Terror plot (2010)
* Terror threat (2014)
* 2019 Bærum murder and mosque attack (2019)

Assassinations and attempts|

* Lillehammer affair (1973)
* William Nygaard assassination attempt (1993)

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