There were 11 confirmed deaths in the mass shooting that occurred at an adult education centre in Orebro, Sweden. Victims varied in nationality, gender, and age. The police are currently working to identify the victims, however, several Syrian citizens are confirmed dead as per the statement by the Syrian embassy in Stockholm. The attack, which took place on Tuesday at Campus Risbergska, Sweden’s deadliest mass shooting, was carried out by a lone gunman who has since been identified in media reports as Rickard Andersson, 35. He was reportedly a former student of the school.
A heart-wrenching account came from Kareen Elia, fiancee of one of the victims, Salim Iskef, 28, who called her during the attack. “He said, ‘I’ve been shot, they shot us,’” Elia recalled. Their wedding had been planned for July, but now she is left waiting in hope, still unaware of his fate.
Swedish police confirmed that Andersson had a licensed firearms permit for four weapons, three of which were found near him at the scene. The gunman had no known connection to criminal gangs or any ideological motives, though investigations are still ongoing.
Swedish political leaders have raised concerns over the potential link of the tragedy to rising polarization and anti-immigrant sentiments in the country as the investigation into the tragedy continues. Opposition leader Magdalena Andersson also mentioned lax gun laws and the dangers of social media violence, urging reforms to protect public safety.
The attack has sparked a national debate on security measures in Swedish schools, with increasing calls for stronger safeguards and re-evaluation of the country’s gun laws.
