Norway: Guard shot, suspicious package found

The force said it was being linked to an incident earlier in the night when attackers shot at a security guard, wounding him slightly, and fled.

Police on Wednesday morning cordoned off the Blindern campus of Oslo University, restricted access to the local metro station, and instituted a no-fly zone after they found a “bomb-like object” close to the area where the man claimed to have been attacked.

The guard, employed by private security firm Nokas, faces charges of filing a false police report. Metlid said the guard had created fear and triggered a major investigation after the discovery of the suspicious object.

Hansen said police had yet to determine how, or whether, the man had shot himself, or what his motives were for the hoax.

The guard himself was able to call police, who immediately launched an investigation in the pouring rain that drenched Oslo and much of southern Norway during the night.

The guard was questioned after being released from hospital on Wednesday, after being treated for light injuries, which he said came from a shot hitting his bullet proof vest. Police planned to interview some of his colleagues and acquaintances.

Metlid refused to comment on whether police believed the other two incidents had also been invented.