Multiple people killed in ‘worst mass shooting in Swedish history,’ authorities say

Police said “around 10 people” were killed at a school on Tuesday, in what has been described as the worst mass shooting in Sweden’s history. The suspected perpetrator is among the dead.

A large number of people were injured after a gunman opened fire at a campus in the city of Örebro in central Sweden, according to Roberto Eid Forest, the head of the city’s police district.

Speaking at a press conference late Tuesday, Forest explained that police were not able to report the exact death toll as the investigation was in its early stages.

Police said that the perpetrator was not known to them before the shooting and that he was not connected to any gangs. They also said they did not believe the motive was terror related. Police did not say what type of weapon was used by the gunman.

“We think he is a lone perpetrator,” Forest said. He added that the shooting was “extremely tragic, with many involved.”

“It’s a terrible event, it’s exceptional – a nightmare,” Forest added.

Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson offered his condolences to the victims and their families and thanked the police during a press conference on Tuesday. “We’ve today seen brutal, deadly violence against completely innocent people – this is the worst mass shooting in Swedish history,” he said.

Speaking alongside the prime minister, the country’s Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer called it an “unspeakably sad tragedy.”

The shooting occurred inside Campus Risbergska – a school for adult education – which is located on a campus where other schools, including those for children, are based.

Officers were first called at around 12:30 p.m. local time (6:30 a.m. ET), Forest said.

Six people had been taken to the local university hospital, including five with gunshot wounds, according to Jonas Claesson, the regional health care director. Four had undergone surgery, including two who are now in a stable condition, he said.

ECN affiliate Expressen reported earlier that there was an exchange of gunfire between the police and the perpetrator, quoting police spokesperson Lars Hedlin. It is unclear how many people were injured in total, but police said no officers were shot.

The public were urged to avoid the area and stay indoors.

Students are being transferred from schools next to the site of the shooting in Örebro, which lies 160 kilometers (100 miles) west of the Swedish capital, Stockholm.

The police said in a later update they were investigating various addresses in Örebro and that work at the crime scene continued. “At the moment, the police believe that the perpetrator was acting alone, but we cannot rule out more perpetrators connected to the incident,” it said.

Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf said his family received the news of the shooting “with sadness and dismay” in a written statement Tuesday.

“Tonight we send our condolences to the families and friends of the deceased. Our thoughts at this moment also go to the injured and their relatives as well as others affected,” the king said, adding his “appreciation” to the emergency services “who worked intensively to save and secure human lives on this dark day.”

‘We heard three bangs’
One eyewitness recalled sounds of terror filling the corridors of the school, the Associated Press reported, citing Sweden’s Expressen newspaper.

“We heard three bangs and loud screams,” Andreas Sundling, 28, said while sheltering in a classroom. “Now we’re sitting here waiting to be evacuated from the school. The information we have received is that we should sit and wait.”

The Risbergska school offers courses at elementary school and high school level for students ages 20 and over – including classes for immigrants, as well as vocational training.

There were an unusually low number of students on campus at the time of the attack, according to a teacher at the school. Many students had left campus after taking a national exam Tuesday, Lena Warenmark told state broadcaster SVT News, according to the Associated Press.

Scandinavian authorities have worked to crack down on gun violence over recent years, following an uptick in deadly gang-related shootings.

In 2024, at least 40 people were shot dead there, according to Reuters. That year, police said they prevented more than 100 serious crimes. In 2023, Sweden tallied the highest rate of gun violence per capita.