Authorities have reported that 11 individuals lost their lives in a shooting incident at an educational facility in central Sweden, with the suspected perpetrator also among the deceased. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson characterized the attack, which occurred on Tuesday at Risbergska school in Orebro, located 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of Stockholm, as the “most severe mass shooting in Swedish history.” Law enforcement officials indicated that the suspect is included in the fatalities and is thought to have acted independently. While the motive remains uncertain, they have dismissed any “ideological” reasons. “It is challenging to comprehend the scale of what has transpired today,” Kristersson remarked during an evening press briefing.
Authorities previously cautioned that the number of fatalities might increase, as multiple individuals sustained injuries.
In a statement released on Wednesday morning, law enforcement indicated that the exact count of the injured remains uncertain.
Reports of a shooting at Risbergska school, an adult education institution, were received at 12:33 local time (11:44 GMT). This facility is part of a campus that accommodates several other educational establishments, primarily serving individuals who have not completed their primary or secondary education.
In response to the situation, students at various nearby schools were instructed to remain indoors “for security reasons.”
“We advise the public to avoid the area,” warned Orebro police chief Roberto Eid Forest.
The justice minister, who appeared with the prime minister on Tuesday evening, expressed condolences to those impacted by the “tragedy” and assured the public that schools across the nation would be safe for students to return to on Wednesday.
Gunnar Strommer expressed that he had never witnessed a school shooting of such severity. Local media reported that nearby hospitals had prepared their emergency rooms and intensive care units to accommodate incoming patients. Orebro University Hospital confirmed that five individuals suffering from gunshot wounds were treated in its emergency department, while a sixth person, who was not shot, received treatment for minor injuries. The municipality of Orebro County later stated that no children were among those receiving care.
Teacher Lena Warenmark recounted to SVT, the Swedish public radio, that she heard approximately ten gunshots near her classroom. Ali el Mokad, a relative of a man believed to have been at the school during the incident, waited outside a local hospital for updates on his family member’s condition. “It doesn’t feel very good actually,” Mr. Mokad told Reuters. He mentioned that his cousin had a friend at the school, and when she called her earlier, “she fell to the ground because she was crying so much.”
“She thought what she saw was so terrible. She only saw people lying on the floor, injured and blood everywhere,” Mr. Mokad recounted, reflecting on the distressing scene described by his cousin’s friend. Another witness, a student named Marwa, shared her experience of trying to save a life amidst the chaos. “A guy next to me was shot in the shoulder. He was bleeding a lot. When I looked behind me, I saw three people on the floor bleeding,” she told TV4 Sweden. Marwa and a friend attempted to assist the injured man by wrapping a shawl around his shoulder “to minimize the bleeding.”
“Everyone was so shocked,” she added. Prime Minister Kristersson commented on the tragic events, stating that Tuesday was “a very painful day for all in Sweden,” and expressed his thoughts for those whose “normal school day” was replaced “with terror.”
Experiencing confinement in a classroom while fearing for one’s life is a harrowing ordeal that no individual should endure, Kristersson stated in a post on X. He subsequently urged the public to allow law enforcement the necessary freedom and space to conduct their work and investigations, emphasizing that there were no additional risks associated with attending school the following day.
