Swedish police have reported that “misleading narratives” are circulating on social media regarding the mass shooting that occurred yesterday at an adult education center, resulting in the death of 11 individuals in the nation’s most lethal gun attack.
“We wish to clarify that, according to current investigative and intelligence information, there is no evidence suggesting that the suspect acted on ideological motives,” the police stated in a short message on their website.
Authorities confirmed that 11 people lost their lives and many others were injured during the shooting at the Risbergska school in Orebro, located approximately 200km west of Stockholm.
The motive behind the crime remains unclear, and it is believed that the suspected shooter, who was among the deceased and had no prior knowledge to law enforcement, acted independently.
Law enforcement indicated they are still examining the crime scene and have conducted searches at multiple locations in Orebro following the incident.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen conveyed her condolences on X, stating: “In this dark hour, we stand with the people of Sweden.”
Many students in Sweden’s adult education system are immigrants striving to enhance their basic education and obtain degrees that will assist them in securing employment in the Nordic region while simultaneously learning the Swedish language.
Sweden has been facing a surge in shootings and bombings linked to a persistent gang crime issue, which has led to the country of 10 million recording the highest per capita rate of gun violence in the EU in recent years.
Nonetheless, fatal incidents at schools are uncommon.
Between 2010 and 2022, ten people were killed in seven cases of deadly school violence, as reported by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention.
Sweden has a relatively high level of gun ownership compared to other European countries, primarily associated with hunting, although it remains considerably lower than in the United States. The rise in gang-related violence has underscored the prevalence of illegal firearms.
One of the more notorious crimes in the last decade involved a 21-year-old masked shooter motivated by racism, who killed a teaching assistant and a student while injuring two others in 2015.
In 2017, a man drove a truck into pedestrians on a busy street in central Stockholm before crashing into a department store, resulting in five fatalities from that attack.
