Gunman in Sweden school shooting 'shot himself dead after killing 10 people'

Police at the scene.
-Credit:AFP via Getty Images.


A school shooter turned his gun on himself after shooting 10 people dead and leaving five seriously injured in the attack in Sweden, police have revealed.

The incident - at an adult education centre west of Stockholm - is the worst mass shooting the country has ever seen, and officials have warned that the death toll could rise.

Local police chief Roberto Eid Forest was asked at a press conference this morning if the attacker had shot himself during the incident, The Mirror reports.

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Local police chief Roberto Eid Forest.
Local police chief Roberto Eid Forest. -Credit:AFP via Getty Images.

He replied that although this could not be confirmed until after a full post mortem, "it appeared that way at this point". He said that the suspect was already dead when police found him.

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The police chief also said that all the victims have not yet been identified and that as well as six people being treated in hospital with injuries, there are six officers who suffered smoke inhalation.

Police are continuing to carry out investigations at the school with a cordon in place while CCTV is examined and people are interviewed.

The gunman’s motive hadn’t been determined yet as the Scandinavian nation — where gun violence at schools is very rare — reeled from an attack with such bloodshed that police early on said it was difficult to count the number of dead among the carnage.

Officials said Wednesday that three women and two men, all with gunshot wounds, underwent surgery at Orebro University Hospital.

All were in serious but stable condition after being admitted to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Another woman was treated for minor injuries and was stable.

Police outside the building during the shooting.
Police outside the building during the shooting. -Credit:AP.

All of the victims are over age 18, officials said. No other patients related to the shooting were admitted to Orebro University Hospital overnight.

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The school, called Campus Risbergska, offers primary and secondary educational classes for adults age 20 and older, Swedish-language classes for immigrants, vocational training and programs for people with intellectual disabilities.

It is on the outskirts of Orebro, which is about 125 miles west of Stockholm. Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer called the shooting "an event that shakes our entire society to its core."

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at the Royal Palace and government buildings. The Swedish news agency TT reported that officials have planned a news conference for Wednesday morning.

The shooting started Tuesday afternoon after many students had gone home following a national exam. Students sheltered in nearby buildings, and other parts of the school were evacuated following the shooting.

Authorities were working to identify the deceased, and police said the toll could rise. Eid Forest told reporters that the suspected gunman was among the dead.

Students had to hide at the school.
Students had to hide at the school. -Credit:X.com.

There were no warnings beforehand, and police believe the perpetrator acted alone. Police haven’t said if the man was a student at the school. No possible motive has been given, but authorities said there were no suspected connections to terrorism at this point.

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Police raided the suspect’s home after Tuesday’s shooting, but it wasn’t immediately clear what they found. He said: "Today, we have witnessed brutal, deadly violence against completely innocent people. This is the worst mass shooting in Swedish history.

"Many questions remain unanswered, and I cannot provide those answers either. But the time will come when we will know what happened, how it could occur, and what motives may have been behind it. Let us not speculate."

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