A MAJOR manhunt is under way for a gunman who opened fire on a freedom-of-speech event in Copenhagen, leaving a civilian dead and three police officers injured.

The shooter opened fire at the Krudttonden cafe, killing a man, during an event featuring Swedish cartoonist and historian Lars Vilks, who depicted the Prophet Mohammed with the body of a dog in 2007.

Danish police, who initially said they were searching for two suspects, issued a picture of the main suspect this evening, taken on street cameras near to where the getaway car, a VW Polo, was later found dumped.

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The cafe in northern Copenhagen was hosting an event titled Art, Blasphemy And The Freedom Of Expression when the shots were fired, according to reports.

It comes little more than month after the attack on the offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris which left 12 people dead.

Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt told reporters in Copenhagen: "We feel certain now that it's a politically motivated attack, and thereby it is a terrorist attack.

"We take this situation extremely seriously. We are in a high alarm all over the country, and our main priority at this stage is to catch the perpetrators and make sure that we find them as soon as possible."

Copenhagen Police said both Mr Vilks and French ambassador to Denmark Francois Zimeray, who was also at the event, were both unharmed. The three police officers are also "out of danger", they said.

Mr Zimeray tweeted from his FranceDK account shortly after the shooting, writing: "Still alive in the room."

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One man dead and three policemen wounded at freedom of speech seminar in Denmark