A school shooting in Sweden has become the deadliest mass shooting in the country’s history.
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On Tuesday, a gunman opened fire at Campus Risbergska in Örebro, in central Sweden. Roberto Eid Forest, the head of the city’s police district, said authorities were not able to report the exact death toll at the time. The investigation is in its early stages, however, there are thought to be “around 10” victims.
“It’s a terrible event, it’s exceptional – a nightmare,” Forest said in a press conference.
He added that police believe the shooter was a “lone perpetrator.” They also don’t think his motives were gang or terror-related.
Sweden’s Leaders Speak Out After Deadly School Shooting
While Campus Risbergska is a school for adult education, it is located on a campus where there are also schools attended by children. However, a teacher at the school told CNN that there were less students on campus than usual at the time of the shooting. Many had already left after taking a national exam earlier in the day.
Sweden’s Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, also gave a press conference on Tuesday. He offered his condolences to the victims and their families.
“We’ve today seen brutal, deadly violence against completely innocent people – this is the worst mass shooting in Swedish history,” he said.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer agreed, calling the attack an “unspeakably sad tragedy.”
King Carl XVI Gustaf released a written statement expressing his and his family’s “sadness and dismay” at the news of the school shooting.
“Tonight we send our condolences to the families and friends of the deceased. Our thoughts at this moment also go to the injured and their relatives as well as others affected,” he wrote.
The king also added his “appreciation” to the emergency services “who worked intensively to save and secure human lives on this dark day.”