Police say the striker is among the dead in ‘the worst mass shooting in Swedish history’
About 10 people, including the attacker, were killed on Tuesday at the Adult Educational Center in what the Swedish Prime Minister called the “worst mass shooting” of the country. The final number of deaths and the final number of wounded has not yet been determined.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristsson held a press conference a few hours after the tragedy.
“We have witnessed a brutal, deadly violence against completely innocent people today,” Kristsson told reporters. “This is the worst mass shooting in Swedish history. Many questions remain unanswered, and I cannot provide those answers.
“But there will be a time when we will know what happened, how it could happen and what the motives may be behind it. We don’t speculate,” he said.
The damage to the crime scene was so extensive that investigators were unable to be more final, said Roberto Eid Forest, a local police chief. The shooting occurred on the outskirts of Örebro, located about 200 kilometers west of Stockholm.
Police said the number of deaths could increase. Eid Forest told reporters that the suspect was among the killed. They believe that the perpetrator was acting alone and was not known to the police before, the officials said.
Authorities have announced that there were no suspicious ties with terrorism at the moment, but did not provide a motive.
The school, named Campus Risberg, serves students over 20 years of age, states on his website. Elementary and higher secondary schools are offered, as well as Swedish classes for immigrants, professional development and programs for people with intellectual disabilities.
Weapon violence in schools is very rare in Sweden. But in recent years there have been several incidents where people were wounded or killed with other weapons such as knives or axes.
Police suffered a suspect’s home after the shooting on Tuesday, but it was not immediately clear what they found. Eid Forest said there is no warning signs before the attack. The authorities worked to identify the deceased.
Previously, Kristesson said it was “a very painful day for the whole Sweden,” the Swedish media reported.
“My thoughts are also with all those whose usual school day has been exchanged because of terror,” Kristesson said. “Being limited to a classroom with fear for your own life is a nightmare that no one should experience.”
Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf praised the police and the rescue and medical staff who responded to the shooting and issued the words of comfort to the families of the victims.
“With sadness and mushroom, my family and I received information about the terrible crime in Örebro,” the monarch said in a statement. “Tonight we send condolences to the families and friends of the deceased. Our thoughts at the moment go both injured and their relatives as well as to others affected.”
The shooting broke out after many students went home after the state exam. Police vehicles and ambulance vehicles, the lights of the flashes, covered the parking lots and the streets around the school as the helicopter was buzzing above the head.
Teacher Lena Warenmark told SVT News that there were unusual few students on Tuesday afternoon after the exam. She also told Emiter that she had heard probably 10 shootings.
Students are obscured in nearby buildings. Other parts of the school were evacuated after the shooting, which began around 12:30 local time.
Andreas Sundling, 28, was among those who were forced to barricades at school.
“We heard three bangs and loud screams,” he told Expressen newspaper as he took refuge in the classroom.
