Swedish police said that “around ten” people were killed in a shooting at an adult education center on Tuesday, including the perpetrator.
The shooting happened at a campus in the city of Orebro city, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Stockholm.
The Swedish daily Aftonbladet, along with broadcasters SVT and TV4, earlier reported that several people were killed in the shooting, which was confirmed by police later in the evening.
“Right now, we are identifying the dead,” said Orebro police chief Roberto Eid Forest.
No indication of a terrorist motive
Police said the incident was being treated “as attempted murder, arson and aggravated weapons offense.”
They added that they “don’t currently believe there is a terrorism motive but we do not yet know.”
Calling the incident “extremely tragic,” Forest said that the alleged perpetrator was not known to the authorities, who were unaware of any connections to gangs or organized crime.
Police believe he acted alone and reassured the public that there was no further danger.
What do we know about the shooting?
Ambulances, rescue services and police forces were at the site of the shooting, a spokesperson for local rescue services said. The severity of the injuries sustained by the shooting victims was unclear.
The shooting took place at the Risbergska school for adults, the Reuters news agency cited a police spokesperson as saying. The school is located in a campus that houses other educational facilities, including for children.
“We have received four patients but cannot say anything about the condition of the injured, but they were admitted to the emergency room at Orebro University Hospital,” an Orebro region spokesperson told Reuters.
Police denied in an update that any of its officers were shot. News reports suggested the shooter died of a self-inflicted injury.
At a press conference later on Tuesday, police confirmed that one of those shot was suspected to be the attacker. Police said that they could not yet confirm if anyone had been killed, adding that they were still sweeping the school premises.
The operation remained ongoing, police said in the press conference, though they said they no longer believed further attacks were in the pipeline.
“The reports of violence in Orebro are very serious. The police are on site and the operation is in full swing,” Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer told Swedish news agency TT, adding that the government was in close contact with the police and was closely following developments.
The police said that students were held indoors at the affected school and the other facilities nearby.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described “a very painful day for all of Sweden.”
“My thoughts are also with all those whose normal school day was replaced with terror. Being confined to a classroom with fear for your own life is a nightmare that no one should have to experience.”
School shootings in Sweden ‘unusual,’ journalist says
Swedish journalist Jesper Bengtsson told DW that 10 overall were injured, with four hospitalized, citing the police.
“School shootings are very unusual in Sweden,” Bengtsson said. “We have had school attacks, but most of the time it’s been with knives or other kinds of weapons. Right now we don’t know exactly what this is, but it seems to be a bit of a new step for Sweden.”
Bengtsson explained that adult education centers, such as the one targeted on Tuesday, often have students who wish to complete their education, as well as migrants learning Swedish.
“Since there’s been a lot of trouble with shootings and hate against migrants and also criminal gangs connected to migrant groups, maybe that could give a clue somehow to what this is all about,” Bengtsson said, though he stressed that the attack could be a “hate crime against migrants,” as much as it could also be “gang-related.”
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar and Louis Oelofse
