About ten people were killed in a shooting at an adult school in the Swedish city of Orebro today, Swedish police said, according to Reuters.
Swedish police also said they believe the attacker acted alone, and that he was one of the dead.
They also said that they do not believe the motive was terrorism, but they do not know that yet.
"We know that around 10 people were killed here today. The reason we can't be more precise right now is because the scale of the incident is so large," local police chief Roberto Eid Forest told reporters, according to Reuters.
Forest said police believe the gunman acted alone and that they do not currently suspect terrorism as a motive, although he cautioned that much remains unknown.
"When it comes to anything more to say about the perpetrator, it's still very early days. The operation is ongoing and that will undoubtedly become clearer. But we are working very intensively at the moment," Forrest said.
Police said they have opened an investigation into murder, arson and a serious weapons offence.
The shooting took place in Örebro, about 200 kilometers west of the capital Stockholm, at the Risbergska School for adults who have not completed their formal education or failed to obtain the grades required for further higher education. It is located on a campus that also houses schools for children.
SVT previously reported that "several people were killed and at least 15 were injured."
According to earlier data, as reported by Radio Free Europe (RFE) at the time, police announced that five people had been shot.
At a press conference in Örebro, police announced that they had received a report of a shooting at the Risbergska adult school at 12.33:XNUMX p.m. A few minutes later, information came in about a fire at the same school.
The police had previously not commented on the total number of victims and stated at the time that it was too early to talk about the perpetrator, but they said that he was one of those shot and that it was a man.
Municipal authorities previously stated that five people were transported to the hospital, four underwent surgery, two are stable, and one person is seriously and one is slightly injured.
Swedish public television (SVT) earlier reported that "several people were killed and at least 15 were injured" in the shooting in Örebro.
Local authorities have urged citizens to contact them to find out if their loved ones are among the injured. They have also launched crisis support pages.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson said it was a terrible act of violence, and that his thoughts were with those affected and their families.
"This is a very painful day for all of Sweden. My thoughts are also with those whose normal school day has been replaced by terror. Being locked in a classroom in fear for your life is a nightmare that no one should have to experience. The government is in close contact with the Police Department and is closely monitoring the development of the situation. The operation is still ongoing and it is important that the public follows the information from the police. I also appeal to everyone to allow the police the peace they need to investigate what happened and how these terrible crimes could have happened," the Swedish Prime Minister said.
The school, called "Kampus Risbergska", offers education to students over the age of 20, according to its website. It offers primary and upper secondary school courses, as well as Swedish language classes for immigrants, vocational training and programs for people with intellectual disabilities.
Örebro is a town with a population of around 155.000.
School attacks are relatively rare in Sweden, which in recent years has seen shootings and bombings linked to gang violence that kill dozens of people each year.
Although attacks on schools are rare, several serious incidents have occurred in schools in recent years.
In March 2022, an 18-year-old student stabbed two teachers to death at a high school in the southern city of Malmö.
Two months earlier, a 16-year-old was arrested after stabbing another student and a teacher at a school in the small town of Kristianstad.
In October 2015, three people were killed in a racially motivated attack at a school in the western town of Trollhattan by a sword-wielding attacker who was later killed by police.
Bonus video:
