Swedish police said at least 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.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described it as “brutal, deadly violence against completely innocent people.”
“This is the worst mass shooting in Swedish history,” he added.
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,” Roberto Eid Forest, head of the local police, said 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 school is located in a campus that houses other educational facilities, including for children.
Police said that students were held indoors at the affected school and the other facilities nearby.
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.”
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
