US condemns Copenhagen shooting

The White House Saturday denounced the deadly shooting in the Danish capital of Copenhagen as "deplorable", pledging help needed for the investigation into the double attack which claimed at least one life.

"The United States condemns today's deplorable shooting in Copenhagen," National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said in a statement, offering condolences over the death of a Danish man killed in the first attack.

"We have been in close contact with our Danish counterparts and stand ready to lend any assistance necessary to the investigation," she added.

Three police officers were injured in the shooting that took place Saturday afternoon at a cultural centre, where French Ambassador to Denmark Francois Zimeray and Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks were participating in a meeting under the name of "Art, Blasphemy and Freedom of Expression".

At least one person was killed and two policemen injured in the second attack near Copenhagen's main synagogue, police said in a statement early Sunday.

The police suspected that the gunman was targeting Vilks, who had sparked anger in religious circles by drawing a particularly objectionable caricature of Prophet Mohammed. Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt has described shooting as "an act of terrorism".