‘Blood’: New details in Sweden’s worst mass shooting
A massacre on a campus in Sweden has killed around 10 with police saying they don’t know the exact number of deaths because the “damage is so great”.
“Around 10” people have been killed at a school in Sweden in what the country’s prime minister said was the “worst mass shooting in Swedish history”.
Swedish police surrounded an educational institution in Örebro, 200km west of Stockholm in the centre of the country, on Tuesday afternoon.
The shooting occurred at 12.30pm local time (10.30pm AEST) at Campus Risbergska, a school for young adults, in the south of the city of 150,000 people.
Local police have said the reason they cannot be more specific on the number of people killed in the massacre was because “the damage is so great”.
No children are among those injured or killed, authorities have said. The suspected perpetrator is believed to be among the dead.
Risbergska School contains a number of schools within it. The incident happened at a komvux, a school for people who did not finish either primary or high school. It is primarily attended by adults but younger people can also be enrolled.
Social media posts from the scene have shown students cowering under tables as alarms in classrooms go off.
Police chief Roberto Eid Forest said the incident was “horrible,” “exceptional” and a “nightmare”.
The King of Sweden has said it was a “dark day” for the nation.
Police have said that the suspected shooter was around 35 years old and an automatic weapon was used in the massacre.
The suspect is also believed to have carried some form of equipment to create smoke inside the school, Orebro police chief Roberto Eid Forest said.
The man was unknown to police and was not thought to be in any gangs.
Swedish television channel TV4 reported police had raided the suspect’s home in Orebro late on Tuesday afternoon.
A video filmed from a balcony appears to show the moment a number of gunshots were fired as people moved away.
“Oh my God,” a person can be heard calling out in the video.
Gun related gang violence is a major issue in Sweden which by European standards, has high levels of gun ownership.
There is no indication of a terrorism link but police have said their investigation has only begun.
“At this time, the police believe that the perpetrator acted alone, but we cannot rule out more perpetrators connected to the incident,” said police chief Forest.
“Our belief is that the perpetrator is one of the dead people”.
Five people injured by gunshot wounds were taken to the emergency room at Orebro University Hospital. Another person, who was not injured by a gun, was treated for “minor injuries,” the hospital said.
Students hide under tables
Teacher Maria Pegado told Reuters that the incident occurred just after lunch.
“I took all my 15 students out into the hallway and we started running,” she said.
“Then I heard two shots, but we made it out. We were close to the school entrance.
“I saw people dragging injured out, first one, then another. I realised it was very serious”.
Two other teachers, Miriam Jarlevall and Patrik Soderman, told newspaper Dagens Nyheter they heard gunfire in a hallway.
“Students came and said someone was shooting. Then we heard more shooting in the hallway. We didn’t go out, we hid in our offices,” they said.
“There were a lot of gunshots at first and then it was quiet for a half-hour and then it started again. We were lying under our desks, cowering.”
Social media posts from the scene have shown students crouching on the floor and under tables in classrooms as red lights and sirens blared.
16-year-old student Linn, who goes to school near the site of the massacre, said she saw “bodies lying on the ground” when describing the chaotic scenes.
“I was standing there, watching what was happening, and I was just around here when I saw some bodies lying on the ground. I don’t know if they were dead or injured,” she told AFP.
“There was blood everywhere, people were panicking and crying, parents were worried... it was chaos,” she added, her voice trembling.
A local newspaper has reported that a person received a text message from a friend at the school.
“He wrote that there was automatic weapon shooting at the school and that they had taken shelter in a room. Then he wrote that he loved me.”
A student at the school, identified only as Marwa, said she tried to save the life of a person who had been shot before police arrived.
“A guy next to me was shot in the shoulder. He was bleeding a lot. When I looked behind me I saw three people on the floor bleeding. Everyone was shocked, they said ‘Go out! Get out!” she said, as per BBC.
“Me and my friend tried to save the life of this person. People were very shocked,” she continued.
“I took my friend’s shawl and tied it tightly around his shoulder so that he wouldn’t bleed so much.”
Students in several nearby schools as well as the one in question had been locked in for several hours “for safety reasons” before gradually being released, police said.
Shooter’s father speaks
Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet hasreported that the suspected shooter’s father has spoken and has said he knows nothing of the incident.
“I don’t know anything about that,” he said when the newspaper reached him.
“This is so disturbing. What happened?”
“It must be impossible,” he added.
‘Terrible act of violence’
At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, local time, Police said they believed the situation was under control.
“We housed students and staff at several schools because we did not really know the perpetrator or the perpetrators’ next steps and whether there were more attacks in the works,” Police said.
“We no longer believe that and have begun an evacuation. However, we do not want the public or other people at the scene, the operation is still ongoing”.
King of Sweden
Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf said it was a “terrible atrocity”.
“Our thoughts at this time also go to the injured and their relatives, as well as to others affected.
“My family and I would like to express our great appreciation for the police, rescue and medical personnel who worked intensively to save and protect human lives on this dark day.”
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said it was a “painful day for all Sweden”, describing the attack as “the worst mass shooting in Sweden’s history”.
“It is with sadness that I have received information about the terrible act of violence in Örebro. My thoughts are with those who have been affected and their relatives.
“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.”
Mass shootings are rare in Sweden. The country places limits on firearms ownership. To own a firearm, Swedes have to pass a hunting exam or be part of a shooting club, show a need for a gun and be of good character to posses one.
Nonetheless, 2.3 million guns are legally owned in Sweden, which has 10.5 million inhabitants, putting it in one of the higher per capita firearms owning nations.
In Europe, Sweden has one of the highest gun murder rates. Chiefly these murders occur due to drug dealing and murders within gangs.
– With AFP
Originally published as ‘Blood’: New details in Sweden’s worst mass shooting
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