While the suspect was apprehended by the police, the shooting comes only hours before Oslo is due to hold its annual Pride parade.

Two people were killed and several others seriously wounded in a shooting at a popular LGBTQ nightclub in Oslo on Saturday, Norwegian police said.

"Two people are confirmed dead," the Oslo police department said in a tweet. Three people were seriously wounded in the shooting, police told reporters at the scene. Another 12 people had mild injuries, reported the Aftenposten newspaper.

"I saw a man arrive with a bag, he picked up a gun and started to shoot," said journalist Olav Roenneberg, who works for the public broadcaster NRK.

The incident happened near the London Pub, an LGTBQ club in central Oslo, according to media reports.

The Norwegian capital is scheduled to hold its annual Pride parade later on Saturday.

Motive unknown

The suspect was apprehended nearby by the police. The motive behind the attack was not immediately clear.

NRK said there were at least three crime scenes. The police said the situation was still unclear overall and has not ruled out the possibility of there being multiple attackers. It has not been categorized as a terrorist incident, according to NRK.

Oslo is due to hold its annual Pride parade later on Saturday.