Loss of life toll rises as police proceed to probe what they name ‘tried homicide, arson and aggravated weapons offence’.
No less than 10 folks have been killed at an grownup college in western Sweden in what the prime minister described because the deadliest taking pictures assault within the Nordic nation’s historical past.
The mass taking pictures occurred at an grownup training centre within the metropolis of Orebro on Tuesday at 12:33pm native (11:33 GMT) with police initially reporting no less than 5 folks had been shot.
In an replace hours later, police mentioned about 10 folks had been killed within the assault on the Risbergska College with out offering a definitive quantity. The victims weren’t instantly recognized.
“We all know that 10 or so folks have been killed right here right this moment. The rationale that we are able to’t be extra actual at present is that the extent of the incident is so giant,” native police chief Roberto Eid Forest informed reporters.
A hospital spokesperson mentioned out of 5 sufferers admitted on the Orebro College Hospital, one sustained mild accidents whereas 4 had been operated on. Two had been out of surgical procedure and steady whereas one had critical wounds.
Police mentioned the attacker was believed to be amongst these killed. They mentioned no additional assaults had been anticipated, including there was at present no suspected connection to “terrorism” however a motive was not clear.
Forest mentioned police believed the gunman acted alone, and he had not been beforehand identified to police.
Police earlier in an announcement mentioned the incident was being “seen as tried homicide, arson and aggravated weapons offence”.
Maria Pegado, 54, a trainer on the college, mentioned somebody threw open the door to her classroom simply after lunch break and shouted to everybody to get out.
“I took all my 15 college students out into the hallway and we began working. Then I heard two pictures however we made it out. We had been near the varsity entrance. I noticed folks dragging injured out, first one, then one other. I realised it was very critical,” she mentioned.
Andreas Sundling, 28, spoke to the Expressen newspaper whereas sheltering in a classroom. “We heard three bangs and loud screams,” he mentioned.
“Now, we’re sitting right here ready to be evacuated from the varsity. The data we’ve acquired is that we should always sit and wait.”
In an announcement on X, Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson mentioned his “ideas are with those that have been affected and their kinfolk”.
“My ideas are additionally with all these whose regular college day was changed with terror,” he mentioned. “Being confined to a classroom with concern in your personal life is a nightmare that nobody ought to must expertise.”
Talking later to reporters, Kistersson known as the assault “the worst mass taking pictures in Swedish historical past”.
Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf mentioned he had acquired the information of the taking pictures with “unhappiness and dismay.”
“Tonight we ship our condolences to the households and mates of the deceased. Our ideas at the moment are additionally with the injured and their households, in addition to others affected,” the king mentioned in an announcement printed by the palace.
The centre the place the assault occurred is positioned 200km (125 miles) west of Stockholm, on the outskirts of Orebro.
Sweden has been fighting a wave of shootings and bombings brought on by an endemic gang crime drawback however deadly assaults at faculties are uncommon.
Ten folks had been killed in seven incidents of lethal violence at faculties between 2010 and 2022, in accordance with the Swedish Nationwide Council for Crime Prevention.
Whereas college assaults have been uncommon in Sweden, there have been a number of critical incidents lately.
In March 2022, an 18-year-old scholar fatally stabbed two lecturers at a highschool within the southern metropolis of Malmo.
Two months earlier, a 16-year-old was arrested after wounding one other scholar and a trainer with a knife at a faculty within the small city of Kristianstad.
In October 2015, three folks had been killed in a racially motivated assault at a faculty within the western city of Trollhattan by a sword-wielding attacker.
