04-02-2025
What we know so far about the Örebro college shooting
What happened?
The details were still sketchy when this article was last updated at 6.30pm, but what we know is that a masked man opened fire inside Campus Risbergska, the main centre for adult education in the city of Örebro, at around 12.30pm on Tuesday.
The college's head, Ingela Bäck Gustafsson, told public broadcaster SVT that she had been eating her lunch with colleagues when a large number of pupils ran up to them screaming that everyone needed to evacuate.
"Together with a big group of students, I ran out in the school yard, and when I was out there I heard shots nearby," she said. "But both I and a lot of others were just screaming 'run, run'. And we ran for our lives."
A video published by the Aftonbladet newspaper appears to show a glimpse of the shooter seen through the window of one of the school's doors.
Some parts of the school were evacuated and other parts were locked down, she told the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper, and many students and staff took cover at a nearby restaurant.
"They're not allowed to go outside, we're keeping them in here. It's like a shelter," a woman who worked at the restaurant said. "The students say a masked man entered the school. We've got about 30 to 40 people here. The police are on site, protecting us."
Lena Warenmark, a teacher speaking to public broadcaster SVT, said that there were unusually few students onsite, as they had gone home after a national test earlier in the day.
The centre was originally built as an upper secondary school called Risbergska Skolan, but was converted in 2017 into a specialist school where students over the age of 20 can complete their primary and secondary level education, learn Swedish, and receive vocational training.
How many victims are there?
Police confirmed at a press conference that "around ten people" were killed in the attack, with the perpetrator believed to be among the dead.
Jonas Claesson, healthcare director in Örebro, told a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that six people had been taken to hospital:
Four people had been operated on and two people were described as stable
One was described as seriously injured
One who had not been operated on had only minor injuries
There was no information about the fifth person.
Sources have told SVT that around 15 people were injured in total.
There were reports that shots had been fired at police, but police confirmed no officers had been hurt.
What's the current situation?
When this article was last updated at 7.50pm, police were confident that the danger had passed.
"At present, we feel confident that no more attacks are going to happen," Roberto Eid Forest, police chief in Örebro, said at a press conference.
Police initially issued a warning to people in the Västhaga area of Örebro to stay away from the area around the school, or, if they were already there, to stay indoors or leave immediately.
Who's the perpetrator?
Police described him as "a male person" who is "not known to police", and does not appear to be connected to a gang or terror group. According to the TV4 broadcaster, he is 35 years old and has a weapons license.
Forest said that the Säpo security police were currently investigating possible motives.
"We believe that he is the primary perpetrator but we are not ruling anything out."
The Aftonbladet tabloid and local Nerikes Allehanda (NA) newspaper reported at around 4.30pm that police were preparing to carry out a raid at an address in central Örebro believed to belong to the suspected perpetrator.
Police were heavily armed, according to NA, and had used a drone to look through the window of the property.
How common are school shootings in Sweden?
Rare. This shooting was the deadliest attack on a school or college in the country's history.
In 2015, a man dressed in a home-made uniform and wielding a samurai swords attacked a school in Trollhättan, killing three students before he, himself was shot dead by police.
Seven school attacks have taken place since then, three of which resulted in fatalities.
The last school shooting took place in 2001, when a student was shot dead in a row over a bag of valium.
The last shooting at a school in Sweden was the Kungälv shooting in 1961, when a 17-year-old opened fire on a dance in a school gym, injuring seven students and killing one.
What next?
Police have set up information points for family members and members of the public. These will be located near Hagakyrkan and beside Myrorna near Entréskolan. They have urged people not to head to the school or to the local hospital.
Region Örebro, which is responsible for healthcare in the area, has set up a special medical management team and entered stabsläge or crisis mode, essentially a heightened state of preparedness to quickly be able to decide on the reallocation of internal resources and to call in extra staff.
Police said in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that they were not sure whether schools would remain closed on Wednesday.
How have Swedish politicians reacted?
Sweden's prime minister Ulf Kristersson on Tuesday night expressed his "bottomless sorrow" at what had taken place.
"We have today seen brutal, deadly violence against completely innocent people. This is the worst mass shooting in Swedish history," he said at a press conference at 7.30pm.
"My thoughts go to those affected, their families and to the police on site," Social Democrat party leader Magdalena Andersson told TT on Tuesday afternoon.
Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson described the news on X as a "nightmare".
"It should not be possible for terrible acts like this to happen in Sweden. My thoughts go to those who find themselves in the centre of this nightmare."
"School should be a safe place," Centre Party leader Muharrem Demirok wrote on X. "Anything to the contrary is a failure. My thoughts go to those affected and their families."
Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar also commented the incident in a post on X.
"My heart is with those affected, with teachers, students and emergency service personnel. The violence our land is going through is a chasm we must find our way out of together."
