Sweden school shooting latest: King and Queen lead country in mourning as more details about suspect emerge
Andersson changed into green military clothing in a school toilet before carrying out the shooting at Risbergska School, then turning the gun on himself.
Relatives described Andersson as an unemployed recluse, who lived a lonely life and suffered with mental problems, the news site Aftonbladet reported.
Andersson had received a licence for four hunting rifles, and documents from the Swedish National Service Agency show he had been told repeatedly he was not eligible for military service after he came of age, it added.
A police source confirmed the name to Reuters news agency.
The King and Queen of Sweden paid a solemn visit to the site of Sweden 's worst ever killings in Örebro.
King Carl XVI Gustaf stood by Queen Silvia's side as she laid bright white flowers at a makeshift memorial near the site
"A grieving process is hard to do alone," King Carl told reporters. "I think all of Sweden feels it has experienced this traumatic event.'
Six police officers treated for smoke inhalation
Six police officers were treated for smoke inhalation following the shooting.
Authorities are investigating whether arson was involved but will not yet confirm where the smoke came from.
The fire alarm was triggered, and police believe there was no regular fire.
Jane Dalton6 February 2025 04:00
Everything we know about campus attack which left 11 dead
Eleven people are dead after a rampaging gunman opened fire at an adult education centre in central Sweden, in what is believed to be the country's worst ever mass shooting.
Armed police were scrambled to Risbergska School, in Örebro, at lunchtime on Tuesday, as terrified students hid under their desks and barricaded themselves in classrooms.
The suspect has been named in Swedish media as 35-year-old recluse Rickard Andersson, described by relatives as a 'loner' who 'doesn't seem to like people'.
Here is how the attack unfolded:
Sweden school shooting: How campus attack which left 11 dead unfolded
Sweden's prime minister said the attack at the Risbergska School was the worst mass shooting in country's history
Namita Singh6 February 2025 03:11
Black armbands and minute's silence at football match
Football teams Degerfors IF and Orebro Syrianska wore black armbands at a friendly match on Wednesday evening.
The teams also held a minute's silence before the match to honour the victims of the terrible attack in Örebro, Degerfors IF announced.
'Our thoughts are with those affected and their families,' said the club, which plays in the highest tier of Swedish football.
Jane Dalton6 February 2025 03:00
Who was Sweden school shooting suspect accused of killing 10 people?
The gunman behind Sweden's worst-ever shooting has been named by Swedish media as 35-year-old Rickard Andersson.
After massacring 10 people at Risbergska School in Orebro, police believe the attacker turned the gun on himself.
Andersson was described by relatives as a 'loner' who 'doesn't seem to like people', Swedish outlet Aftonbladet reported. He suffered with mental health problems, had a licence for multiple hunting rifles, and had repeatedly been refused military service, the outlet added.
More in this report:
Rickard Andersson: Who was Sweden school shooting suspect accused of killing 10
Andersson was said to be a recluse who had maintained little contact with his family for years before tragedy unfolded at Risbergska School in Orebro
Namita Singh6 February 2025 03:00
Wave of shootings and bombings in Sweden
Sweden has been struggling with a wave of shootings and bombings caused by an endemic gang crime problem that has led to the highest per capita rate of gun violence in the EU in recent years in the country of 10 million people.
However, fatal attacks at schools are rare.
Ten people were killed in seven incidents of deadly violence at schools between 2010 and 2022, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention.
Sweden has a high level of gun ownership by European standards, mainly linked to hunting, though it is much lower than in the United States, while the gang crime wave has highlighted the high incidence of illegal weapons.
In one of the highest-profile crimes of the past decade, a 21-year-old masked assailant driven by racist motives killed a teaching assistant and a boy and wounded two others in 2015.
In 2017, a man driving a truck mowed down shoppers on a busy street in central Stockholm before crashing into a department store. Five people died in that attack.
Jane Dalton6 February 2025 02:00
Fellow pupil says Andersson was loner
A person who went to the same school as Rickard Andersson while growing up told TV4 Nyheterna he was a loner.
'He was very quiet and kept to himself most of the time. It wasn't noticeable much when he was little, but the older he got, the more he withdrew,' they said.
'In his last year he was often at home. I think he then completely disappeared from school.'
Jane Dalton6 February 2025 01:00
Empathy will help us, says prime minister
Sweden's prime minister Ulf Kristersson, who joined the king and queen in visiting Orebro, said: "February 4 will for ever mark a dark day in Swedish history.
"We are a country in mourning and we must all come together."
He wrote on social media: 'The empathy and kindness shown by people here in Sweden and across the globe will help us through this dark period.'
Jane Dalton5 February 2025 23:59
Suspect 'had Asperger's and autism'
The gun murders suspect had Asperger's and high-functioning autism, and had major problems at school, according to Sweden's TV4.
' From the spring semester of grade eight and throughout grade nine, he failed all subjects. He was therefore not eligible for upper secondary school and had to follow an individual program,' the channel reported.
'Rickard Andersson studied at Wadköping Education Center in Örebro. There he attended a special class for people with Asperger's and high-functioning autism, and he received mixed grades.
'He passed in aesthetic activities and history, but failed in all other subjects.
'Rickard Andersson also did not do military service, as his lack of high school grades meant that he was never called up for military service.'
Jane Dalton5 February 2025 22:30
In pictures: Mourning in Orebro
Jane Dalton5 February 2025 21:30
Sweden mourns shooting victims – full report
Jane Dalton5 February 2025 20:30
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
26-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
‘Killer' accused of murdering beauty queen ‘fled to UK on small boat' as heartbroken dad fears he'll never get justice
BOAT HORROR 'Killer' accused of murdering beauty queen 'fled to UK on small boat' as heartbroken dad fears he'll never get justice Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAN accused of murdering his beauty queen wife fled to the UK on a small boat, it is claimed. Ibrahim Ghazal, from Lebanon, is alleged to have suffocated Zeina Kanjo to death in Beirut before moving around Europe for years. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Ibrahim Ghazal is accused of murdering his wife Zeina Kanjo Credit: Instagram 4 Zeina was suffocated to death just months after she got married Credit: Instagram 4 The year before her death, she had represented her country in a beauty pageant in Egypt Credit: Instagram The 36-year-old - who is subject to an Interpol red notice - eventually travelled to Britain from France this year along with thousands of other migrants. Ghazal was jailed last week jailed for nine months for attempting to arrive without valid entry clearance after being arrested by Border Force. Government officials are facing a possible crisis ahead of his sentence expiring. Ms Kanjo's dad Mohammed fears his daughter will never get justice if the alleged killer returns to Lebanon and is hopeful the British legal system can step up. READ MORE NEWS MIGRANT 'SPIT ATTACK' Homeless migrant who came to UK on dinghy denies spitting at cop Ghazal was protected from extradition from Germany and Sweden under Human Rights laws by claiming he faced execution in his homeland, reports MailOnline. There are fears Ghazal could do the same to remain in Britain. Ms Kanjo, 33, was murdered in January 2021, having apparently got married just four months earlier. Her death sparked a national debate in Lebanon about domestic abuse. Ms Kanjo had filed domestic violence and fraud cases against her new husband and was trying to divorce him when she was killed, according to reports. She had represented her country at a beauty contest in Egypt the previous year. 16 arrested after protests outside Epping migrant hotel as ring of steel ramps up around TWO asylum seeker centres Ghazal allegedly fled to Turkey hours after his wife's death. Lebanese channel Al Jadeed broadcast an audio recording in which he allegedly admitted to the murder. Speaking to Ms Kanjo's sister, the person says: "I didn't want to, I didn't want her to die, when she was screaming, I just put my hand on her mouth." Ghazal is understood to have travelled through Greece, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. He was arrested in December 2022 in Stokholm under Interpol's red notice. However, Swedish laws prevented him from being extradited back home where he said he faced execution, and when he was detained again in Germany, the same thing happened, according to Ms Kanjo's lawyer Ashraf Al-Moussawi. Mr Al-Moussawi has pointed out Lebanon has not carried out an execution since 1994 and so this should not have been used as a defence. He added the alleged killer then "wandered Europe until his recent arrest in England". The lawyer has urged the British government to find a way to send Ghazal back to his homeland to face justice. Ms Kanjo's dad Mohammed claims his daughter's husband had sneaked back into Lebanon to attend his cousin's wedding a year after his wife's death. "After all this time, I'm left wondering if justice will ever be served," he told the Mail. "It's like something is missing from your body, something that is not replaceable. "I honestly hope he's not handed over to Lebanese authorities only to be imprisoned and then released again." He added perhaps the UK legal system can "find a way to properly punish him". Ghazal was detained by Border Force and jailed at Gloucester Crown Court last Wednesday after admitting to entering the country unlawfully. A Government spokesman said: "The Home Office never comments on whether extradition requests have or have not been received, and it is also our longstanding policy not to comment on individual cases. "However, we will always do everything in our power to remove serious foreign criminals from the UK so they are not left free on our streets after completing their sentence." The Sun has approached the Home Office for further comment. Do you know more? Email
Economist
24-07-2025
- Economist
Cigarettes, booze and petrol bankroll Europe's welfare empire
Is it possible to feel the burden of sin in a continent that is all but godless, as Europe is these days? Prostitution barely generates a frisson in Belgium, a land of unionised hookers. Puffing cannabis is legal in Germany, of all places. Gambling via lotteries or mobile apps is uncontentious just about everywhere. But to feel the weight of social disapproval, try buying a bottle of wine in Sweden. Since 1955 a state-run monopoly has begrudgingly dispensed alcohol to those who insist on drinking it. The Systembolaget, as it is known, oozes disapproval. Stores are sparse and closed on Sundays. If you find one, forget posters of appealing vineyards as you browse the shelves: the decor is part Albanian government office, part pharmacy. There are no discounts to be had, nor a loyalty programme. Wine is left unchilled lest a customer be tempted to down it on a whim. As they queue to pay, shoppers are made to trudge past a 'regret basket' that primly suggests they leave some of their hoard behind. The road to Swedish hell is, apparently, lined with lukewarm bottles of sauvignon blanc.
The Independent
23-07-2025
- The Independent
Delta pilot about to fly transatlantic route failed breathalyzer, officials say
A Delta Airlines transatlantic flight bound for New York City was canceled when the pilot was arrested after she failed a breathalyzer test, according to reports. The pilot was charged with suspicion of drunkenness and taken into custody at Stockholm's Arlanda Airport around 9:00 am local time Tuesday, according to police spokesperson Nadya Norton, to Swedish daily newspaper Aftonbladet. The newspaper reported that the pilot is from the U.S. The nearly nine-hour Delta Air Lines flight 205 was due to arrive in the U.S. at around 1 p.m. Eastern time. According to Aftonbladet, the suspect is a pilot from the U.S. The woman has been detained and is in custody pending a prosecutor's review, according to ABC New York. A prosecutor now has 72 hours to decide whether to charge or release her. Under Swedish law, the pilot could face a fine or up to six months in jail for a "normal violation." If the blood alcohol level is significantly high, the penalty can go up to two years in prison. Police informed ABC News that, in this incident, it did not appear to be the case. In a statement, Delta Air Lines said it will fully cooperate with authorities, "as nothing is more important than the safety and security of our customers and people. We apologize to our customers for the disruption to their travel, and teams are working to get them to their destinations as soon as possible." Pilots in the U.S. are required to adhere to an 8-hour 'bottle to throttle rule,' meaning they must not fly while under the influence, and must not fly while using any drug that could 'adversely affect safety,' according to Federal Aviation Administration guidelines. The passengers on the morning flight were entitled to receive $705 in cash compensation because of the incident, according to aviation site View From The Wing. The compensation, which covers all passengers who were on board the 226-seat Boeing 767-332 aircraft, will cost Delta approximately $160,000, thanks to European Union rule 261, which covers lengthy delays and inconvenience. Costs associated with temporary lodging, meals, and any possible disruption to follow-on flights are not included in the payout, VFTW reports. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency mandates random alcohol testing for flight and cabin crew operating out of EU member states, as per Regulation 2018/1042. However, this incident is reportedly not the first case of alleged intoxication to occur, as two Delta flight attendants working on Delta's flight 49 from Amsterdam to New York JFK were also arrested for failing a breathalyzer in November 2024.
