Copenhagen gunman’s third accomplice charged

Danish judicial authorities on Saturday charged a third alleged accomplice in Copenhagen’s twin shootings this month, accusing him of helping the attacker obtain a bulletproof vest and a knife, a court spokesman said.

The defendant, a slender 18-year-old in khakis and a red sports jacket, denied the charges before his custody hearing held behind closed doors, news agency Ritzau reported.

“He is accused of helping the attacker and will be detained for 26 days,” Jens Stausboell of Copenhagen district court told AFP.

The man was identified Friday by public broadcaster DR as the younger brother of gunman Omar El-Hussein, a Dane of Palestinian origin who killed two people in the capital this month.

Three accomplices in all have been detained for allegedly helping the gunman, who was shot dead by police in a pre-dawn shootout following the attacks.

Two men -- arrested in the immediate aftermath of the February 14-15 shootings -- have been charged with hiding El-Hussein after his first attack and helping him obtain and get rid of weapons, Stausboell said.

Armed with an assault rifle, El-Hussein fired 28 bullets a cultural center hosting a seminar on free speech and Islam.

He later opened fire at a synagogue, killing an unarmed Jewish security guard.