World
Mass Shooting in Sweden Leaves at Least 10 Dead, Including Gunman
About ten people lost their lives on Tuesday in a shooting at an educational facility in Sweden, including the suspected gunman. The Swedish prime minister labelled it the “worst mass shooting” in the nation’s history.
Initially, authorities reported several injuries at Campus Risbergska, a secondary school for young adults in Orebro, but did not confirm any deaths at first.
While school-related attacks are uncommon in Sweden, the country has faced ongoing issues with shootings and bombings tied to gang activity, resulting in numerous fatalities each year.
Orebro police chief Roberto Eid Forest confirmed the death toll, stating, “Around ten people have been killed today,” but he refrained from specifying the exact number due to the high number of injured individuals. He shared no additional details about those wounded.
Worst mass shooting in Sweden’s history
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the event as the “worst mass shooting in Swedish history” during a press conference. Forest added that a motive had not been identified but indicated the gunman likely acted alone. Authorities have not disclosed information about the ages or identities of those killed, nor whether they were students or staff.
Some media outlets reported that the suspect may have turned the weapon on himself, though police have not confirmed this. Kristersson acknowledged the many unanswered questions, urging the public not to speculate. “In time, we will find out what happened, how it happened, and why,” he stated.
Reports of the attack reached police at 12:33 PM local time. Authorities have not given specific details about how the incident unfolded but said the suspect appeared to have used equipment to produce smoke inside the school.
Two teachers from Campus Risbergska told a local newspaper they heard gunfire in a hallway. “Students came to tell us someone was shooting. Then we heard more shots in the hallway,” they said.
“We stayed in our offices, hiding. There were many shots at first, then silence for about 30 minutes, and then it started again. We hid under our desks, terrified.”
Some witnesses claimed to hear what sounded like automatic gunfire. Swedish television reported that police later searched the suspect’s home Tuesday afternoon. According to their report, the suspect was roughly 35 years old, had a license to carry firearms, and had no prior criminal record, though police have not confirmed these details.
King Expresses Sorrow
A 16-year-old named Linn, who attends a nearby school, described the aftermath. “I was standing nearby, watching everything. I saw bodies on the ground, but I don’t know if they were dead or injured. There was blood everywhere, people crying and panicking—parents were frantic. It was complete chaos,” she said, her voice shaking.
King Carl XVI Gustaf expressed “sadness and dismay” over the tragedy, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the violence, calling it “horrifying” and stating, “There is no place for such terror, especially in schools. We stand with Sweden during this dark time.”
Students in nearby schools, including Campus Risbergska, were kept in lockdown for hours as a safety precaution before being gradually released. Cia Sandell, the mother of one of the students, expressed frustration and fear while waiting for her son’s school to be evacuated.
“My son is locked inside this school behind me. They’re hiding for safety. I’m angry and shocked—this shouldn’t happen,” she said.
Though incidents like this are rare in Sweden, other violent attacks have occurred at schools in recent years. In 2022, an 18-year-old fatally stabbed two teachers at a high school in Malmo.
Earlier that year, a 16-year-old injured a student and a teacher in a knife attack in Kristianstad, Sweden. In 2015, three people died in a racially motivated attack in Trollhattan, Sweden, when an assailant armed with a sword was later shot dead by police.