'Worst shooting in Swedish history', many dead
Feb 05, 2025
Orebro [Sweden], February 5: About 10 people were killed in a shooting at an education center in Sweden and police are still determining whether there are other victims.
About 10 people were killed in a shooting at an educational center in the city of Orebro ( Sweden ) on February 4 (local time), in what Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called "the worst shooting" in the history of this Nordic country.
Reuters quoted police as saying that the gunman was among the dead and that authorities were still searching for other victims. The motive of the attacker was not yet clear.
"We know that around 10 people died here today. The reason we cannot give a more precise figure at this time is because the scale of the incident is so large," local police chief Roberto Eid Forest told a news conference.
Mr Forest said police believed the gunman had acted alone and did not currently suspect a terrorist motive, although he cautioned that much remained unknown.
The city of Orebro is located about 200 km from the capital Stockholm. The shooting occurred at the Risbergska school for adults who have not completed formal education. The school is located in an area that also includes other schools for children.
Teacher Maria Pegado, 54, said someone pushed open the door right after lunch and shouted for everyone to get out.
"I took all 15 of my students out into the hallway and we started running. Then I heard two gunshots but we managed to escape," she said, adding that she saw people pulling the injured out one by one.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said it was the worst mass shooting in Sweden's history. "It is difficult to understand the full extent of what happened today, darkness is falling over Sweden tonight," he told a news conference.
Swedish King Carl XVI Gustav sent his condolences. "My family and I were deeply saddened and shocked to learn of the terrible massacre in Orebro," he said.
Sweden has been plagued by gang-related shootings and bombings, giving the country of 10 million people the highest rate of gun violence per capita in the European Union in recent years. However, deadly attacks on schools are rare.
According to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, 10 people died in seven fatal school violence incidents between 2010 and 2022.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
