Deadly shooting in Sweden school campus leaves 10 dead

A yet to be identified shooter stormed a school in Sweden on Tuesday and killed no less than 10 people in what Ulf Kristersson, Sweden Prime Minister has declared as “worst mass shooting in Swedish history”.

According to Roberto Eid Forest, the head of the city’s police district, a gunman opened fire at people in an adult education center campus, in the city of Örebro in central Sweden injuring a large number of people.

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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 there is currently no information indicating the shooter

“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.

An eye witness, a student at the school who spoke with BBC, gave only her first name, Marwa, described trying to save the life of a person who’d been shot.

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“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!”

“Me and my friend tried to save the life of this person. People were very shocked. The police were not on site and neither was the ambulance. So we had to help.”

“I took my friend’s shawl and tied it tightly around his shoulder so that he wouldn’t bleed so much.”

Ulf Kristersson, Sweden’s Prime Minister 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.

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

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.

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.