Sweden reels from deadliest mass shooting as police seek gunman’s motive

Swedish police say that a gunman who killed 10 people in the country’s worst mass shooting was connected to the adult education centre where he opened fire with a rifle-like weapon.

Authorities said the gunman, who has not yet been officially identified, may have attended school there.

He was later found dead with a large amount of unused ammunition. They added that the gunman had licenses for four weapons, three of which were found with him.

At least five people were seriously wounded in the violence at an adult education centre west of Stockholm on Tuesday.

Officials said three women and two men, all with gunshot wounds, underwent surgery at Orebro University Hospital.

All were in serious but stable condition after being admitted to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Another woman was treated for minor injuries and was stable.

Mourners across the Scandinavian nation — where gun crime at schools is very rare — struggled to reconcile the thought of mass violence in their country.

“Not in this place,” Malin Hilmberg, 37, told The Associated Press as she stood near a growing makeshift memorial near the scene. “I mean, we heard about it in different parts of the world, but of course, it’s a shock. It’s your hometown and so many lives destroyed. It’s hard to find words.”

Jonas Claesson, regional director of health and medical services, said that two of the gunshot victims were in intensive care Wednesday. All of the victims are over age 18, officials said.

The school, Campus Risbergska, offers primary and secondary educational classes for adults aged 20 and older, Swedish-language classes for immigrants, vocational training and programmes for people with intellectual disabilities.

It is on the outskirts of Orebro, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) west of Stockholm.

Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer called the shooting “an event that shakes our entire society to its core”.

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at the Royal Palace and government buildings.

Mourners gathered outside the school, comforting one another and dropping off candles and flowers to honour the victims.

“It’s very strange to be in the middle, where I live in Sweden, in Orebro, and this is all over the world,” Emelia Fredriksson, 53, said. “They’re seeing us now and it’s a very strange feeling.”

The king and Queen Silvia visited Orebro on Wednesday and attended a memorial service alongside Mr Kristersson.

“We are here to show our grief to all the families who have (lost) their loved ones, who have people who have lost their lives,” the monarch told reporters outside the makeshift memorial. “But also they should always remember that they are not alone. I think today the whole of Sweden will take part and are standing behind them. ”

The shooting started on Tuesday afternoon after many students had gone home following a national exam.

Survivors scrambled for cover as shots rang out, sheltering behind or under whatever they could find to escape the gunman.

Other students sheltered in nearby buildings, and other parts of the school were evacuated following the shooting.

Authorities were working to identify the deceased. Police said that officers discovered the gunman dead at the school when they arrived. It was unclear how he died.

Roberto Eid Forest, head of the local police, said that the school’s large premises meant it took a long time for officers to search the campus to ensure there were no more victims.

There were no warnings beforehand, and police believe the perpetrator acted alone.

Police have not said if the man was a student at the school and there has been no possible motive, but authorities said there were no suspected connections to terrorism at this point.