Omar Abdelhamid Hussein, who was named in a Danish court as the main suspect in the shootings, was known to police and had recently been in jail, authorities said. He was fatally shot by police after opening fire on officers who were investigating Sunday’s attacks in Copenhagen.

“I have nothing bad to say about Omar, because I didn’t get that impression of him,” said Mark Undall, who knew Hussein for seven years as a fellow kickboxer.

“I experienced Omar as a normal young man, who was loyal towards his friends and who had a good heart,” Udall told NBC News. “His alleged actions … are something, which I can’t relate to nor recognize.”