Swedish police say about 10 people killed in shooting at adult education centre

Swedish police said that about 10 people, including the gunman, were killed during a shooting on Tuesday at an adult education centre.

They said a final death toll and a conclusive number of wounded had not yet been determined.

The damage at the crime scene was so extensive that investigators were unable to be more definitive, said Roberto Eid Forest, head of the local police.

The shooting happened on the outskirts of the city of Orebro, about 125 miles west of Stockholm.

Police said that the death toll could rise, and Mr Eid Forest told reporters that the suspected gunman was among those killed

The school, called Campus Risbergska, serves students who are over the age of 20, according to its website.

Primary and upper secondary school courses are offered, as well as Swedish classes for immigrants, vocational training and programmes for people with intellectual disabilities.

Police said that there were no suspected connections to terrorism at this point.

Police believe the perpetrator acted alone. He was not previously known to police, officials said.

Authorities were working to identify the dead. They did not immediately provide an exact number of fatalities.

Gun violence at schools is very rare in Sweden, but there have been several incidents in recent years in which people were wounded or killed with other weapons, such as knives or axes.

Det är med sorg jag har fått information om det fruktansvärda våldsdådet i Örebro. Mina tankar är hos de som har drabbats och deras anhöriga.

Det är en mycket smärtsam dag för hela Sverige. Mina tankar är också hos alla dem vars vanliga skoldag utbyttes mot skräck. Att vara…

— SwedishPM (@SwedishPM) February 4, 2025

Police raided the suspect’s home after the shooting, but it was not immediately clear what they found.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will hold a news conference later alongside Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer,

Earlier, Mr Kristersson said that it was “a very painful day for all of Sweden”, Swedish media reported.

“My thoughts are also with all those whose normal school day was exchanged for terror,” Mr Kristersson said. “Being confined to a classroom with fear for your own life is a nightmare that no-one should have to experience.”

Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf praised police and the rescue and medical personnel who responded to the shooting, and offered words of comfort to the families of the victims.

“It is with sadness and dismay that my family and I have received the information about the terrible atrocity in Orebro,” the king said in a statement.

“We send our condolences tonight to the families and friends of the deceased. Our thoughts at this time also go to the injured and their relatives, as well as to others affected.”

The shooting erupted after many students had gone home after a national exam. Police vehicles and ambulances, lights flashing, blanketed the car parks and streets around the school as a helicopter buzzed overhead.

Teacher Lena Warenmark told SVT News that there were unusually few students on the campus on Tuesday after the exam. She also told the broadcaster that she heard probably 10 gunshots.

Students sheltered in nearby buildings. Other parts of the school were evacuated after the shooting, which began at about 12.30pm local time.

Andreas Sundling, 28, was among those forced to barricade themselves inside the school.

“We heard three bangs and loud screams,” he told Expressen newspaper while sheltering in a classroom.