Örebro school shooting
School shooting in Örebro, Sweden From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On 4 February 2025, a school shooting occurred at Campus Risbergska, an adult education center in Örebro, Sweden. The shooter was identified as 35-year-old Rickard Andersson; his motives for the attack are still under investigation by the Swedish Police Authority and the Swedish Security Service.[2][3][4] Eleven people were killed, including the perpetrator,[1][2] and six others injured. Six people were hospitalised, with authorities warning there may be more casualties.[5] According to Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson, it is the deadliest mass shooting in the country's history.[6]
| Örebro school shooting | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Campus Risbergska, Örebro, Sweden |
| Coordinates | 59°16′10″N 15°9′58″E |
| Date | 4 February 2025 12:33 – 14:15 (UTC+01:00) |
Attack type | School shooting, mass shooting, mass murder, arson, murder–suicide |
| Weapons | |
| Deaths | 11 (including the perpetrator)[1] |
| Injured | 12 (6 by gunfire, 6 by smoke inhalation) |
| Perpetrator | Rickard Andersson |
| Motive | Under investigation |
Background
Campus Risbergska is an adult education (komvux) center, primarily attended by people who have not completed primary or secondary school. Located in Örebro in central Sweden, the school shares a campus with several other educational institutions.[3]
The campus was originally a girls school that opened in 1863, but was expanded to include secondary education without the right to graduate. Over the years, the school has changed its focus and name, and primary to the opening of the campus on the premises, the area was a high school dedicated for students with disabilities. Campus Risbergska as it's known today was first opened in 2017. The following year, the learning centre of the campus was expanded. At the time, around 2,000 adult students were enrolled at the school.[7]
Shooting
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Reports indicate that the perpetrator, Rickard Andersson, arrived at Campus Risbergska approximately 1.5 hours before the attack after taking a bus. He was seen near the school's entrance at 10:59 CET, but his exact movements inside the building remain unclear.[8]
Law enforcement were called around 12:33 and arrived six minutes later.[9] Two teachers at the school told Dagens Nyheter that they heard gunshots from a corridor, followed by silence for a half-hour, and then more shooting.[10] The perpetrator fired 70 shots during the shooting.[11] Around 120 police officers were dispatched to the school following the shooting.[12]
According to the police, shots were still being fired on the premises during the search.[13] Police never confronted or saw the shooter alive, who was found dead an hour after the initial report.[14][1][15]
Maria Pegado, a teacher at the school, recalled hearing the shots and escaped with her 15 students through the hallway.[16] Ingela Bäck Gustafsson, the school's principal, was eating when students ran in and told everyone to evacuate; she and others took shelter in the staff room of Myrorna, a nearby second-hand store.[17] Lena Warenmark, another teacher at the school, said that fewer than usual students were in the building at the time of the shooting since many had gone home following a national exam.[2]
The Swedish Police Authority stated that the presumed perpetrator is believed to have acted alone, and was confirmed dead in the shooting.[1][18] Local police chief Roberto Eid Forest said the shooter appeared to have killed himself. Sveriges Radio, citing police investigations, said that an automatic firearm had been used in the shooting.[19] Three firearms were found near his body, along with ten empty magazines, 100 cartridges and large amounts of unused ammunition.[20][21] Police confirmed that Andersson used three smoke grenades during the attack.[11] Aftonbladet reported that the weapons were transported into the school inside a guitar case and in two bags, while the gunman changed into a military style garb in one of the school bathrooms before carrying out the shooting.[22]
Police soon cordoned off the area.[3] Ambulances were sent from the neighbouring counties of Södermanland and Västmanland to assist medical personnel in Örebro, while Värmland sent blood.[23][24][25] In addition, Värmland and Dalarna provided police reinforcements.[24][26]
Casualties
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In total, eleven people, including the perpetrator of the shooting, were killed. Six people were taken to Örebro University Hospital, five of whom had gunshot wounds and sustained life-threatening injuries.[29][2] The fatalities included seven women and three men; their ages ranged between 28 and 68 years.[30] Six police officers were treated for smoke inhalation and police confirmed that the perpetrator used at least one smoke grenade in the shooting.[31]
Two citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina were identified as having been shot. One, a female volunteer named Selma Hukić, was killed while another, a janitor, was injured, but not critically.[12][32] Both victims originated from Tuzla.[33]
Two male refugees from Syria were confirmed among the fatalities. One of these victims, Salim Iskef, was a 28-year-old Assyrian who fled from ISIS and was part of Örebro's Assyrian community.[34][35] He was due to get married in the summer, and during the shooting, he had managed to call his fiancée to ask her to look after his mother.[36] His funeral was held eight days later at a Syriac Orthodox parish.[37]
Two women, an Eritrean and a Kurdish citizen of Iraq (originally from Shaqlawa) who both worked at the school were among the fatalities.[38] Elsa Teklay, the Eritrean victim of the massacre, had arrived to Sweden from Eritrea in 2015 and was a nursing student at the time.[39] Three other fatalities were identified as citizens of Afghanistan, Iran and Somalia.[40][41] Ali Mohammed Jafari, who was the Afghan victim, was training to be a janitor at the time of the shooting, and was 31 years old; the Iranian victim, Niloofar, was 42 and also a nursing student.[42]
Perpetrator
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The day after the shooting, 35-year-old Rickard Andersson (born 10 August 1989 as Jonas Rickard Simon) was identified as the shooter.[43][44][45][46] Andersson had always lived in Örebro and had been enrolled at Campus Risbergska in 2013 and 2019, but left his most recent course in 2021.[43] His residence was found to have been barricaded when it was raided by the police.[2][47] Prior to the shooting, Andersson purchased a large amount of ammunition and smoke grenades.[48] TV4 reported that he had a firearms licence, owned 4 weapons (a Browning BAR (.30-06), a Ruger 10/22 (.22 LR), a Mossberg 590A1 (12-gauge) and a Winchester 1300 (12-gauge)) and had no prior criminal convictions.[49][50] He was also reported to be living reclusively since 2016 and was unemployed.[51] Police have not yet found a clear motive for the attack but stated that everything indicated the shooter had "no ideological motive."[52]
On 6 February, Anna Bergkvist, who is leading the police investigation, appeared to walk the statement back, saying "we are looking at different motives and we will declare it when we have it."[53]
On 5 February, TV4 published a video clip shared by a person hiding in the building, it claims that the words "you need to leave Europe" were shouted before a bullet was fired.[54] The release of the video and the interpretation has been criticised as being misleading by several audio professionals, who have not been able to reach the same conclusion.[55]
The shooting initially prompted speculation on social media about the perpetrator's identity, leading to some individuals being wrongfully accused.[56][57] The police urged the public to not spread unconfirmed information.[1]
Aftermath
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Nearby schools were put into lockdown, and police instructed the public to stay away.[10] The Örebro municipal government provided support following the shootings, setting up a crisis centre at the Haga Church. The Örebro Mosque also stayed open on the evening of 4 February to offer support.[58][16]
On 5 February, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia visited Örebro and laid flowers near the site of the shooting.[59] The National Police Commissioner Petra Lundh stated, "The police have reason to review procedures and guidelines for the handling of weapons licences."[60] On 6 February, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson invited the leaders of all political parties in the Riksdag to attend a cabinet meeting, where a minute of silence was observed for the victims.[61] The ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Sweden Bojan Sosic laid flowers outside of the school in honor of the Bosnian victims of the shooting.[12]
On 9 February, the Swedish government announced that a national minute of silence would be observed at 12 p.m. on 11 February, and that flags would be flown at half-mast from 9 a.m. until the end of the minute of silence.[62]
In the aftermath, businessman and U.S. politician Elon Musk faced criticism for amplifying a misleading claim that European politicians and mainstream media remained silent about the tragedy, claiming that "no European politician" had mentioned the massacre. Before Musk deleted his post, it was seen 1.2 million times, and Community Notes had corrected his statements. This assertion was later debunked, as numerous European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, publicly condemned the attack, and major media outlets provided extensive coverage. [63]
Reactions
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Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson commented on social media that it is "a very painful day for all of Sweden",[64] and urged an investigation into the shooting.[15] Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer called the shooting "one of the worst shootings in Swedish history".[65][66] King Carl XVI Gustaf sent his condolences,[67] as did local politicians and world leaders[2][68] including King Frederik X of Denmark,[69] King Harald V of Norway,[70] President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen[71] and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.[72]
Roberto Eid Forest, head of the local police, described the scene as "awful, exceptional" and "a nightmare".[73] Flags at all government institutions as well as royal palaces were set at half-mast on 5 February.[51] On 6 February the Swedish Football Association said it would begin scheduled international matches with a moment of silence for the victims.[20]
The Danish Ministry of Justice announced that 5 and 6 February, the birthdays of Queen Mary and Princess Marie respectively, would not be observed as flag flying days, out of respect for the victims of the shooting.[71][74]
On 5 February, the day after the shooting, a memorial service was held at Sankt Nicolai Church in Örebro. The King and Queen, the Prime Minister and other government representatives, and several leaders of major political parties attended the ceremony.[75] Also, on the night of 5 February, the Øresund Bridge was illuminated in the colours of the Swedish flag to honour the victims.[76]
On 7 February, the Swedish government and the Sweden Democrats unveiled plans to pass stricter regulations on firearms, including restricting access to semi-automatic weapons such as the AR-15.[77]
See also
References
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