Iceland had its first fatal shooting this week. A man who was firing at cars from his apartment window was shot and killed by police on Monday.
The 59-year-old man from eastern Reykjavik, who hasn't been identified, was taken to a nearby hospital but he died of his wounds. Two police officers were also wounded in the early morning shoot out.
"Police regret this incident and would like to extend their condolences to the family of the man," Icelandic Police Chief Haraldur Johannessen told reporters in Reykjavik, according to the BBC.
State prosecutors are trying to figure out why the man started firing and whether officers took the correct action. About 15 to 20 officers were involved and were ordered to disarm the man. They are receiving counseling.
An investigation is now taking place as it is extremely rare for a fatal shooting to take place in the country. In fact this was the first fatal shooting in more than 200 years since the former Viking leadership began its mission for independence from Denmark.
Armed gunmen is rare in Iceland. In fact according to the Iceland Review, police didn't even started carrying guns until 2011. This isn't the first time there was a shooting in Iceland and it wasn't the first time police shot at someone but it is the first time someone died by police gunfire. The police involced in Monday's incident were a special forces until who are allowed to carry weapons.
Guns aren't rare in Iceland. According to the BBC, Iceland has one of the lowest crime rates in the world even though many people have guns. There are about 90,000 guns registered in the country with a population of 315,000. It is the 15th country in the world for gun ownership.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
