Individuals of a number of nationalities had been among the many 11 killed at a faculty in Sweden’s worst mass taking pictures, police have mentioned.
Anna Bergqvist, who’s main the police investigation, mentioned individuals of “a number of nationalities, totally different genders and totally different ages” had been amongst these killed by a lone gunman at Campus Risbergska, an grownup schooling centre, within the metropolis of Örebro on Tuesday.
Requested by reporters whether or not there was any proof of racist motivation for the assault, Bergqvist mentioned: “We’re taking a look at all of these components.”
The Syrian embassy in Stockholm mentioned its residents had been among the many lifeless. “With deep sorrow and grief, the embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic within the kingdom of Sweden expresses its sturdy condemnation of the prison incident that happened within the Swedish metropolis of Örebro, which resulted in … harmless victims,” the embassy wrote on its official Fb web page.
“It extends its honest condolences to the households of the victims, together with pricey Syrian residents, and to the pleasant Swedish individuals, and we want a speedy restoration to the injured. It additionally affirms its full solidarity with the Swedish authorities and folks in these painful circumstances. The embassy stands by the households of the Syrian and Swedish victims and needs continued safety, stability and prosperity for the dominion of Sweden.”
Till now, police had revealed little concerning the victims or the gunman, aside from that he was believed to have acted alone.
The suspected gunman, who was among the many lifeless, was named in media experiences as Rickard Andersson, 35, a former pupil of the varsity who lived regionally. He’s understood to have attended some maths courses on the college a couple of years in the past and had been unemployed for a decade.
On Thursday police once more declined to substantiate his identification till they’d DNA affirmation. They beforehand mentioned the suspect had no recognized connection to prison gangs and that there was nothing to recommend he acted on ideological grounds.
Police mentioned the suspect had a licence for 4 weapons, all of which have been seized by police and three of which had been subsequent to him on the scene when officers secured him.
Bergqvist mentioned: “What we are able to say is that there’s data that he might in a roundabout way be linked to the varsity, that he might have attended this college beforehand.”
Police mentioned though “the image is beginning to clear” within the investigation, they had been “not prepared to offer detailed solutions. We need to make certain earlier than we converse.” They mentioned they’d searched the suspect’s house, examined his telephones and had been scouring movie and sound clips submitted by witnesses.
They mentioned officers had been met by an “inferno” once they arrived on the college about 5 minutes after the alarm was raised at 12.33pm on Tuesday. Lars Wirén, Örebro’s police chief, mentioned: “They [police] inform of what could be described as an inferno with lifeless individuals, injured individuals, screams and smoke.”
Shortly after they entered, they might see smoke rising and thought they had been being shot at by an approaching gunman, he mentioned. “They see a perpetrator armed with a rifle-like weapon.”
Magdalena Andersson, the chief of the primary opposition Social Democrats and a former Swedish prime minister, mentioned the varsity was recognized for having a various pupil physique.
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“We’ve to attend till the police investigation is completed to know something about motive and likewise once they can say who this individual was,” she mentioned. “However what’s well-known is that it is a college with college students from many components of the world.”
With out the quick response of police, witnesses advised her when she visited Örebro on Wednesday, the demise toll might have been significantly larger.
The election in 2022 of Sweden’s Moderates-led coalition authorities, which will depend on the help of the far-right Sweden Democrats, has led to elevated anti-immigrant insurance policies in Sweden, contributing to racist rhetoric and social polarisation.
Andersson mentioned: “As a Social Democrat I’ve spent the final two years arguing that we have to maintain collectively in our society. We’ve nothing to win from extra division or extra polarisation in our society. When we’ve got finished greatest in our nation is when we’ve got been capable of stick collectively, work collectively and maintain one another.”
She known as for speedy reconsideration of gun legal guidelines. “What we already know is that there are too many weapons which can be out there in our society, so we’ve got to do one thing about that.”
She additionally known as for EU motion to curb social media platforms that she mentioned served up far an excessive amount of violence to younger individuals and kids. “Not solely in Sweden however all around the world, there may be an excessive amount of materials on social media platforms which can be romanticising violence. And the way in which the algorithm works, too lots of our kids, younger individuals and others meet violence every single day once they open their phone.”
For the reason that taking pictures there have been rising calls – together with from the schooling minister, Lotta Edholm, for adjustments to Sweden’s tradition of open colleges, which may make it straightforward for members of the general public to stroll into a faculty with out being challenged.
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