Sweden: 5 people shot at adult school, say police

1. Sweden: 5 people shot at adult school, say police

Sweden: 5 people shot at adult school, say police ByHT News Desk Feb 04, 2025 08:09 PM IST Share Via Copy Link Police said Tuesday that five people were shot at an adult education centre in Sweden.

At least five persons were shot at an adult education center in Sweden on Tuesday, The Associated Press reported citing police. It was not immediately clear if a suspect in this regard was caught.

Police officers were seen at the Risbergska School in Orebro, Sweden, on February 4, 2025, following reports of a serious violent crimes.(AFP)

The extent of the injuries of the victims was not clear either. The incident reportedly took place at Campus Risbergska, an adult education centre, in the city of Orebro, which is located about 200 kilometers west of Stockholm.

According to the campus' website, the school serves students who are over the age of 20. Primary and upper secondary courses are also offered along with Swedish classes for immigrants, vocational training and programs for people with intellectual disabilities.

Students are being sheltered in nearby buildings amid the violent incident, whileo other parts of the school were evacuated following the violence.

“The reports of violence in Orebro are very serious. The police are on site and the operation is in full swing. The government is in close contact with the police, and is closely following developments,” Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer told Swedish news agency TT.

According to Reuters, the police said in a statement that the incident is currently being seen as "an attempted murder, arson and aggravated weapons offence".

Ambulances, police and rescue services are present at the spot. As operations were underway at the education centre's campus, police stressed that the "danger is not over. The public MUST stay away".

Students in the nearby schools had been locked in "for safety reasons", the police said.

Lena Warenmark, a teacher at the adult school, told SVT News that there were unusually few students on the campus on Tuesday as many returned home after a national test.

She also told the media outlet that she likely heard around 10 gunshots.

According to local Swedish media, local hospitals emptied their emergency rooms and intensive care units in anticipation of making room for the wounded.

"We have received four patients but cannot say anything about the condition of the injured, but they were admitted to the emergency room at Orebro University Hospital," an Orebro region spokesperson told Reuters.

A 28-year-old Andreas Sundling was one among those forced to barricade themselves inside the school. "We heard three bangs and loud screams," he told a local newspaper.

“Now we’re sitting here waiting to be evacuated from the school. The information we have received is that we should sit and wait," Sundling added.

While school attacks are rare in the region, several serious incidents have taken place at schools in the recent years.

According to AFP, an 18-year-old in March 2022 had stabbed two teachers to death at a high school in the southern city of Malmo.

Two months earlier, a 16-year-old was arrested for injuring a student and a teacher with a knife in Kristianstad town.