Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson gave a news conference in the aftermath of the tragedy, which happened on the outskirts of Orebro. The city is located about kilometers miles west of Stockholm. The school, called Campus Risbergska, serves students over age 20, according to its website. Primary and upper secondary school courses are offered, as well as Swedish classes for immigrants, vocational training and programs for people with intellectual disabilities.
Many questions remain unanswered, and I cannot provide those answers either. 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. The shooting also sent shock waves through Europe, with officials in Brussels expressing their outrage at the carnage.
In this dark hour, we stand with the people of Sweden. The damage at the crime scene was so extensive that investigators were unable to be more definitive about the number of fatalities, said Roberto Eid Forest, head of the local police.
Police said that the death toll could rise. Eid Forest told reporters that the suspected gunman was among those killed. Eid Forest said there were no warning signs before the attack. Authorities were working to identify the deceased. Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf praised police and the rescue and medical personnel who responded to the shooting, and issued words of comfort to the families of the victims.
Our thoughts at this time also go to the injured and their relatives, as well as to others affected. And of course, our neighboring countries have all of our support. The shooting erupted after many students had gone home following a national exam. Police vehicles and ambulances, lights flashing, blanketed the parking lots and streets around the school as a helicopter buzzed overhead.
