Lars Hedegaard, a Danish author and outspoken critic of Islam, was the target of an assassination attempt on February 5, 2013. A gunman disguised as a mailman approached him at his home and fired a shot that narrowly missed Hedegaard’s head. The attacker’s gun jammed after the first shot, allowing Hedegaard to survive without injury. The assailant fled, and the investigation linked the attempted murder to Islamic extremists upset by Hedegaard's critical views on Islam.
Following the attack, Hedegaard has lived under constant protection by the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET), residing in hiding at a secret rural location in Denmark for his safety. He stepped down from his role as chairman of the Danish Free Press Society after the attack and documented the incident in a book titled "Attentatet" published in 2015.
Shot for Politiken
