Tour de France organizer Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) has expressed its condolences to the victims and their families of Sunday's shooting at a shopping mall center in Copenhagen that left several people dead and injured.

"The Tour de France (opens in new tab) expresses its sympathy and pity to the people of Denmark for this situation. The Tour is very shocked and saddened to hear what happened in Copenhagen," ASO wrote in a statement. [The people of Copenhagen gave the peloton the best welcome in the history of the sport and had formed a deep bond with all their followers. The entire caravan of the Tour de France extends its heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families."

Many riders and teams also offered their condolences via social media.

The Tour de France Grande Pearl was held in Denmark, with the time trial stage (open in new tab) around Copenhagen opening on Friday, July 1. Riders, teams, and the nearly 4,000-strong Tour de France caravan stayed in the Danish capital for several days.

The race then moved on to Roskilde and Nyborg for Saturday's second stage (open in new tab) and to Vejle and Sønderborg for Sunday's third stage (open in new tab). On Sunday evening, the race moved from Sundaboa to northern France, where the riders flew and the rest of the caravan traveled 900 km by plane or car to Calais for their first rest day on Monday.

The shopping mall in the field where the filming took place was located about 1 km from the Tour de France headquarters at the Bella Center, an exhibition and conference center in Copenhagen.

The suspect, a 22-year-old Danish man, was arrested near the mall, said Inspector Søren Thomasen, head of the Copenhagen Police Operations Unit, according to a CBC report.

We know that "several people are dead" and "several injured," Inspector Thommassen told a press conference, adding that at this stage he cannot rule out terrorism. Authorities said it is too early to give an exact figure.

Rigshospitalet, the capital's main hospital, is receiving a "small number of patients" for treatment due to the incident, possibly more than three, a spokesman told Reuters.

Temporary staff, including surgeons and nurses, have been called in, the spokesman added.

Police have advised those remaining in the mall to stay where they are and wait for police assistance, and have advised the public to leave the area.