Swedish mass shooting: police seek gunman motives

Orebro, Sweden (AP) – Sweden is caught up in a few days The country’s most deadly mass shooting At least 11 people, including gunman, remained dead as investigators continued to investigate the shooter’s motives on Thursday.

at least Five people were seriously injured With violence at the Adult Education Centre west of Stockholm on Tuesday. The mourners on the other side Scandinavia’s countrygun violence in schools is extremely rare and they struggle to deal with the ideas of massive violence in their country.

“It’s not this place,” Marine Hillmberg, 37, told the Associated Press as she stood near a makeshift memorial as she grew up near the scene. “I mean, we’ve heard about it in different parts of the world, and of course it’s a shock. It’s your hometown, so many lives have been destroyed. It’s hard to find the words. is.”

Officials said three women and two men had undergone surgery at Orebro University Hospital after being found to have life-threatening injuries. All was serious but stable on Wednesday. Another woman was treated for minor injuries and was stable.

All victims are over 18 years old, officials said.

Tragedy “shaking our entire society at its core.”

The school’s campus, Risbergska, offers major and secondary education classes for adults over the age of 20, with Swedish classes for immigration, vocational training and programs for people with intellectual disabilities. It is located on the outskirts of Olebro about 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Stockholm.

The Minister of Justice Gunnarströmmer called the shooting “an event that shakes our society at the heart.” King Charles XVI Gustav Prime Minister Wolf Crysterson Ordered flags flying at half price for the royal palace and government buildings. Mourners gathered outside the school to comfort each other and honor the victims by stripping candles and flowers.

“It’s very strange to see me in the middle of Orebro’s Sweden. This is all over the world,” said Emelia Fredrickson, 53. “It’s a very strange feeling because they’re watching us now.”

The King and Queen Sylvia visited Orebro on Wednesday and attended a service ceremony with Christerson.

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

There was no warning in advance, and the police believe that the perpetrator acted alone. Police did not say whether the man was a student at the school. Authorities said there was no doubt about any link to terrorism at this time.

“The worst time of my life”

Filming has begun Tuesday afternoonafter many students returned home after the national exam. Survivor scrambled for cover Shots rang out, evacuating anything they found to escape Gunman and Gore. The woman with a child feared that she would never see them again, but another woman used her friend’s shawl to stop the bleeding of the man who was shot in the shoulder.

“These were the worst times of my life. I didn’t know if I would be shot there in 10 minutes. 35-year-old Hellen Werme told Expressen newspaper.

Authorities were working to identify the deceased. Police say officers found dead at school with a gun when they arrived. It was unclear how he died.

Local police chief Roberto Eid Forest said six officers were treated for inhaling smoke. He was not fired and authorities did not immediately know what caused the smoke.

Swedish gun

Police will not say whether the shooter has multiple guns or what kind of firearms were used in the shooting. In Sweden, school guns are very rare, but people have been injured or killed. Other weapons such as knives Or in recent years, the axis of some incidents.

To legally own a firearm, the applicant must Weapon License And demonstrate that it is used for an Acceptable Purposehunting, target shooting, etc. Applicants must provide a previously obtained hunting or target shooting certificate. Hunting certificates require people to pass the training course, while target shooters must be certified as active and experienced members of the club.

All weapons must be stored in a secure cabinet approved by the police. Applications for fully automatic or one-handed weapons are granted only for exceptional reasons, and such permissions are generally time-limited.

If the weapon is changed to be significantly different from the original function, the permission will be revoked.

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Dazio reported from Berlin. Mimi Montgomery and Cwillon Ha of London and John Leicester of Paris contributed to this report.