An 18-year-old armed with a sword attacked students at a high school in the Swedish town of Fagersta on Friday, resulting in the death of one person and injuring three others.
The attack took place at Brinell High School, which had just reopened for the academic year, with some students attending their first day of classes. The suspect was identified as a former student at the school and was shot and taken into custody. He was reportedly wearing a helmet and carrying a sword.
The suspect also had a previous assault conviction.
"The first patrol entered and let us know that the perpetrator was subdued with gunfire," said local police chief Tommy Alriksson, according to a report by Reuters.
The victim who was killed was a 17-year-old girl. Two of the other victims, both teenage boys, were seriously injured. A fourth person was also injured and taken to a hospital before later being released.
"First it was just a regular day really. But then ... I saw a guy all covered in blood, at least down his back anyway. Then I saw the police and they flooded in," one student told Reuters.
Fagersta Mayor Asa-Marta Sjostrom said the town, which has a population of roughly 13,000 residents, was dealing with the aftermath of the attack.
"Our and the school's main focus right now is to take care of our students and our employees," she said. "We are working together... to create safety and provide support to those who need it."
A Swedish newspaper reported that police were investigating a TikTok account in connection with the attack. The account allegedly posted an image of a sword just 20 minutes prior, taken in a restroom at the school. The account also had videos referring to two violent attacks in Sweden as well as Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik.
The attack took place at Brinell High School, which had just reopened for the academic year, with some students attending their first day of classes. The suspect was identified as a former student at the school and was shot and taken into custody. He was reportedly wearing a helmet and carrying a sword.
The suspect also had a previous assault conviction.
"The first patrol entered and let us know that the perpetrator was subdued with gunfire," said local police chief Tommy Alriksson, according to a report by Reuters.
The victim who was killed was a 17-year-old girl. Two of the other victims, both teenage boys, were seriously injured. A fourth person was also injured and taken to a hospital before later being released.
"First it was just a regular day really. But then ... I saw a guy all covered in blood, at least down his back anyway. Then I saw the police and they flooded in," one student told Reuters.
Fagersta Mayor Asa-Marta Sjostrom said the town, which has a population of roughly 13,000 residents, was dealing with the aftermath of the attack.
"Our and the school's main focus right now is to take care of our students and our employees," she said. "We are working together... to create safety and provide support to those who need it."
A Swedish newspaper reported that police were investigating a TikTok account in connection with the attack. The account allegedly posted an image of a sword just 20 minutes prior, taken in a restroom at the school. The account also had videos referring to two violent attacks in Sweden as well as Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik.
