Three dead after shooting in Sweden, suspect fled
By
Henrik Pettersson
and
Catherine Nicholls
, CNN
Police at the scene after several people were killed in a shooting at Vaksala Square in central Uppsala , Sweden.
Photo:
FREDRIK SANDBERG / TT News Agency via AFP
At least three people have been killed in a shooting in the city of Uppsala, Sweden, police said in a statement.
The deaths are being investigated as a homicide, police said on Tuesday (local time), adding that their next of kin have not yet been notified.
A large police operation is underway near Uppsala's Vaksala Square, public broadcaster SVT reported, adding that the suspect is believed to have fled the scene on an electric scooter.
Members of the public reported hearing loud bangs that resembled gunshots in the area, police said in a statement earlier on Tuesday. Several people were found with injuries that indicated gunshots, the statement said.
"We have received several reports of bangs in the area. That is what we can say at this time. I cannot say more," Magnus Klarin, a spokesperson for the Swedish police, said before the deaths were confirmed, according to SVT.
The motive behind the incident is not yet clear. Earlier this year, the
European Parliament said
that Sweden is "currently battling a wave of gang violence".
- CNN
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