It was around 9.30 on Tuesday that the police and ambulance went to Boots Pharmacy in the center of Arendal following a report of an injured woman, who died a short time later.
According to what Agderposten knows, the woman was stabbed to death.
The police cordoned off a larger area around the pharmacy on the corner of Friholmsgaten and Tollbodgaten. They were clear that it was very unclear what had happened.
– The police investigation and the preliminary autopsy report indicate that the woman has been killed, says police prosecutor Vanja Bruvoll in the Agder police district in a press release on Wednesday.
The woman was employed at the pharmacy where she was found, says Bruvoll. Although the next of kin have been notified, the police do not want to make public the identity of the woman as of now.
– Demanding
The police will not say anything about what kind of injuries the woman suffered for the sake of the investigation.
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They have secured material from surveillance cameras in the center of the city, but will not elaborate on whether they have secured the incident itself on video.
– It is a very demanding process to go through, but we have also questioned a number of witnesses who have been in and around the place, and that has given us a starting point, says Bruvoll.
– But the exact time of the incident, of which we are quite sure as of now, we do not want to go out with, she says.
– Perpetrator unknown to the police
No people are currently suspected or charged in the case, Bruvoll further states.
– The perpetrator is still unknown to the police. Based on preliminary information, it cannot be ruled out that the deceased is an accidental victim. The police are working with full force to clarify this, she says.
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Agder police district has raised the alert as a result of the fact that they do not know who the perpetrator is, says chief of staff Vidar Arnesen.
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– At the present time, we do not know who the perpetrator is or what motives the perpetrator had. Therefore, we also have limited grounds for assessing the danger to the public. Agder police district has chosen to raise the level of preparedness to ensure a faster response capability in Agder police district. This means that the police are present with more civilian and uniformed personnel in Agder and Arendal, says Arnesen.
Low threshold for tipping off the police
Several witness interviews have been carried out, and the police have obtained video material which is now being reviewed, at the same time as they are going through the technical investigations that were carried out at the scene.
– At the present time, we cannot comment on questions about any findings or seizures in the case, says Bruvoll.
On Tuesday, the police asked for tips from the public and people who had been in the city centre. On Wednesday, they reiterate that they are very interested in tips from the public.
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– We ask the population to follow along and have a low threshold for contacting the police. We fully understand that this is a demanding situation. The case naturally has the highest priority for the police and is being investigated with all available resources, says Arnesen.
– We are in shock
Arendal mayor Robert Cornels Nordli says that the local community is affected by the murder.
– My thoughts go out to those closest to me – family, friends and others. We are all in shock, says Nordli to Agderposten.
As mentioned, the woman was employed in Boots’ pharmacy, and the woman’s colleagues are being taken care of, says managing director Kathrine Mehlin.
– This is a terrible tragedy and a very difficult day for us in Boots pharmacy. We have lost a very close colleague and good employee. Our focus now is to take care of the next of kin, employees and those affected, writes Mehlin in an SMS to NRK.
Tags: police control perpetrator Arendal murder
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