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2025 Risbergska school shooting

Coordinates: 59°16′10″N 15°9′58″E / 59.26944°N 15.16611°E / 59.26944; 15.16611
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2025 Risbergska school shooting
Police car at Campus Risbergska,
five days after the shooting
Map
LocationCampus Risbergska, Örebro, Sweden
Coordinates59°16′10″N 15°9′58″E / 59.26944°N 15.16611°E / 59.26944; 15.16611
Date4 February 2025; 5 days ago (2025-02-04)
12:33 – 14:15 (UTC+01:00)
Attack type
School shooting, mass shooting, mass murder, arson, murder–suicide
Weapons4 firearms:
Deaths11 (including the perpetrator)[2]
Injured12 (6 by gunfire, 6 by smoke inhalation)
PerpetratorRickard Andersson
MotiveUnder investigation

On 4 February 2025, a school shooting occurred at Campus Risbergska, an adult education centre in Örebro, Sweden. Eleven people were killed, including the perpetrator,[2][3] and six others injured. The shooter was identified as 35-year-old Rickard Andersson, but his motives for the attack are still under investigation by the Swedish Police Authority and the Swedish Security Service.[3][4][5] Six people were hospitalised, with authorities warning there may be more casualties.[6] According to Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson, it is the deadliest mass shooting in the country's history.

Background

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Campus Risbergska is an adult education (komvux) centre, mainly 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.[4] At the time, around 2,000 adult students were enrolled at the school, which offers courses at the gymnasium level.[7]

Shooting

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Officers were called around 12:33 CET.[8] 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.[9] Around 130 police officers were dispatched to the school following the shooting.[10]

According to the police, shots were still being fired on the premises during the search.[11] Police never found or confronted the shooter, who was found dead an hour after the initial alarm.[12][2][13]

Maria Pegado, a teacher at the school, recounted hearing the shots and escaped with her 15 students through the hallway.[14] 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.[15] 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.[3]

The Swedish Police Authority stated that the presumed perpetrator is believed to have acted alone, and has been confirmed dead in the shooting.[2][16] 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.[17] Four firearms—a 30-06 Browning BAR LongTrac, a Winchester 1300, and a Mossberg 590A1—along with a Ruger 10/22 rifle, ten empty magazines, and large amounts of unused ammunition were found next to his body.[18] Aftonbladet reported that the weapons were transported into the school inside a guitar case, while the gunman changed into a military style garb in a school bathroom before carrying out the shooting.[19]

Police soon cordoned off the area.[4] Ambulances were sent from the neighbouring counties of Södermanland and Västmanland to assist medical personnel in Örebro, while Värmland sent blood.[20][21][22] In addition, Värmland and Dalarna provided police reinforcements.[21][23]

Casualties

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Eleven people, including the perpetrator, were killed. Six people were taken to Örebro University Hospital, five of whom had gunshot wounds and sustained life-threatening injuries.[24][3] The fatalities included seven women and three men; their ages ranged between 28 and 68 years.[25] Six police officers were treated for smoke inhalation and police confirmed that the perpetrator used at least one smoke grenade in the shooting.[26]

Two citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina were shot. One, a female volunteer, was killed while another, a janitor, was injured, but not critically.[10][27] Both victims originated from Tuzla.[28]

A 28-year-old Assyrian man from Syria was confirmed among the fatalities.[29] Other Syrian citizens are suspected to be among the dead.[10]

Perpetrator

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The day after the shooting, 35-year-old Rickard Andersson (born 10 August 1989) was identified as the shooter.[30][31][32] Andersson had always lived in Örebro and had been enrolled at Campus Risbergska, but left his most recent course in 2021.[30] His residence was found to have been barricaded when it was raided by the police.[3][33] TV4 reported that he had a firearms licence and had no prior criminal convictions.[34] He was also reported to be living reclusively and was unemployed.[35] Police initially said everything indicated that the shooter had "no ideological motive".[36][needs update] 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."[37]

The shooting initially prompted speculation on social media about the perpetrator's identity, leading to some individuals being wrongfully accused.[38][39] The police urged the public to not spread unconfirmed information.[2]

Aftermath

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Nearby schools were put into lockdown, and police instructed the public to stay away.[9] 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.[40][14]

On 5 February, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia visited Örebro and laid flowers near the site of the shooting.[41] The National Police Commissioner Petra Lundh stated, "The police have reason to review procedures and guidelines for the handling of weapons licences."[42]

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.[43]

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 p.m. until the end of the minute of silence.[44]

Reactions

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Flags at half-mast in Gothenburg the day after the shooting
Memorial outside of Campus Risbergska

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson commented on social media that it is "a very painful day for all of Sweden",[45] and urged an investigation into the shooting.[13] Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer called the shooting "one of the worst shootings in Swedish history".[46][47] King Carl XVI Gustaf sent his condolences,[48] as did local politicians and world leaders[3][49] including King Frederik X of Denmark,[50] King Harald V of Norway,[51] President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen[52] and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.[53]

Roberto Eid Forest, head of the local police, described the scene as "awful, exceptional" and "a nightmare".[54] Flags at all government institutions as well as royal palaces were set at half-mast on 5 February.[35] On 6 February the Swedish Football Association said it would begin scheduled international matches with a moment of silence for the victims.[18]

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.[52][55]

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.[56] Also, on the night of 5 February, the Öresund Bridge was illuminated in the colours of the Swedish flag to honour the victims.[57]

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.[58]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Here are Rickard Andersson's weapons: Shotgun and rifle". expressen.se. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e "04 februari 12.33, Skottlossning, Örebro". polisen.se (in Swedish). Swedish Police Authority. Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Stor polisinsats – fem personer skjutna vid skola i Örebro" (in Swedish). SVT Nyheter. 4 February 2025. Archived from the original on 4 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Five people shot at school in central Sweden". BBC News. 4 February 2025. Archived from the original on 4 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  5. ^ "Ett tiotal döda efter skolskjutning på Risbergska komvux i Örebro". Expressen (in Swedish). 4 February 2025. Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  6. ^ Krupa, Jakub (4 February 2025). "Sweden shooting: five people shot at education centre in Örebro by attacker police believe is among the injured – latest updates". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  7. ^ "Skjutning i Örebro: Detta har hänt". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 4 February 2025. Archived from the original on 4 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  8. ^ "Gunman kills several people at adult education center in Sweden". France 24. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Five people wounded in Sweden school shooting". France 24. Agence France-Presse. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  10. ^ a b c "Syrian refugees killed in Swedish gunman's attack on school". BBC News. 6 February 2025. Archived from the original on 6 February 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  11. ^ "Polisen tappade bort mördaren under skolskjutningen i Örebro". expressen.se. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  12. ^ "Polisen besvarade aldrig beskjutningen" (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  13. ^ a b Pettersson, Henrik; Noor Haq, Sana (4 February 2025). "Multiple people killed in 'worst mass shooting in Swedish history,' authorities say". CNN. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  14. ^ a b "What do we know about the Sweden school shooter?". BBC. 5 February 2025.
  15. ^ "Rektorn på Campus Risbergska skolan i Örebro: "Vi sprang för livet"" (in Swedish). SVT Nyheter. 4 February 2025. Archived from the original on 4 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  16. ^ "Polisen: Gärningsperson är död och troligen ensamagerande – Ett tiotal personer har dött efter skjutning vid skola i Örebro" (in Swedish). SVT Nyheter. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  17. ^ "What do we know about the Sweden school shooter?". BBC. 5 February 2025. Archived from the original on 4 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  18. ^ a b "Swedish police say mass shooter was connected to school where he opened fire". AP News. 6 February 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  19. ^ "Swedish police say 'multiple nationalities' died in mass shooting". France 24. Agence France-Presse. 7 February 2025. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  20. ^ "Region Sörmland skickar ambulanser till Örebro" (in Swedish). SVT Nyheter. 4 February 2025. Archived from the original on 4 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  21. ^ a b "Tiotal döda i skolskjutning – så stöttar Värmland Örebro" (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio. 4 February 2025. Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  22. ^ Skolskjutningen: Västmanland har skickat ambulanser till Örebro (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  23. ^ "Dalapoliser skickas till skjutningen i Örebro: "Självklarhet"" (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  24. ^ "Sweden's worst mass shooting leaves at least 11 dead, 5 seriously wounded at adult education center". NBC News. 5 February 2025. Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  25. ^ "Sweden shooting victim Bassam Al Sheleh posted a video wishing all a good day – that afternoon he was dead". The Independent. 8 February 2025. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  26. ^ "Polisen bekräftar att rökgranater användes vid skolskjutningen". DN.se (in Swedish). 9 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  27. ^ "Bosnian female victim identified". Tuzla info. 7 February 2025.
  28. ^ "Bosnian wounded man indetified". Tuzlanski. 6 February 2025.
  29. ^ "Swedish mass shooting victims include Christians who fled Syria". Reuters. 7 February 2025.
  30. ^ a b "Rickard Andersson, 35, misstänks för massmordet i Örebro" (in Swedish). SVT Nyheter. 5 February 2025. Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  31. ^ Mjaaland, Ola (5 February 2025). "Rickard Andersson (35) er siktet for massedrapet i Örebro" (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  32. ^ "Sweden shooting: What do we know about the suspect?". BBC News. 4 February 2025.
  33. ^ "Sweden's worst mass shooting leaves at least 11 dead, 5 seriously wounded at adult education center". AP News. 5 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  34. ^ "Man i 35-årsåldern pekas ut efter skolskjutningen – har vapenlicens". TV4 (in Swedish). 4 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  35. ^ a b "Sweden reels from worst mass shooting in its history". France 24. 5 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  36. ^ "Fokus på att återställa tryggheten efter skolskjutningen i Örebro". Polismyndigheten (in Swedish). Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  37. ^ Gunter, Joel (7 February 2025). "Worst mass shooting in Sweden's history leaves immigrant community on edge". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  38. ^ Iselidh, Astrid; Ingemarsson, Rosa (5 February 2025). "Han pekades felaktigt ut som skytten i Örebro" (in Swedish). SVT Nyheter. Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  39. ^ Julén, Josefine (5 February 2025). "Rickard felaktigt utpekad för masskjutningen – "polisen knackade på dörren"". Jaktjournalen (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  40. ^ Björkman, Fredrik (4 February 2025). "Kommunen öppnar kriscenter: "Måste ta hand om människorna"". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  41. ^ "Swedish king leads mourning after school massacre". France 24. 5 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  42. ^ "Vapenrutiner kan granskas". expressen.se (in Swedish). 5 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  43. ^ "Partiledarna i tyst minut efter skolskjutningen". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 6 February 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  44. ^ "Statsministern bjuder in till nationell tyst minut efter våldsdådet i Örebro". Regeringskansliet. 9 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  45. ^ "Ulf Kristersson (M): "En mycket smärtsam dag för hela Sverige"". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 4 February 2025. Archived from the original on 4 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  46. ^ "Statsministern och justitieministern bjuder in till pressträff". regeringen.se (Press release) (in Swedish). Regeringen. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  47. ^ "Sweden school shooting latest: Five people shot at campus in Orebro". BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  48. ^ "Uttalande av H.M. Konungen med anledning av dådet i Örebro". kungahuset.se (Press release) (in Swedish). Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  49. ^ "Omvärlden reagerar på skolmassakern" (in Swedish). TV4. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  50. ^ "H.M. Kongen sender kondolence til H.M. Kong Carl XVI Gustaf af Sverige". kongehuset.dk (in Danish). 4 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  51. ^ "Kondolanse til Kongen av Sverige". kongehuset.no (in Norwegian). 5 February 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  52. ^ a b Hallberg, Ylva (4 February 2025). "Våldsdådet väcker reaktioner världen över". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  53. ^ "Støre har snakket med Kristersson: – Grusomme nyheter". ABC Nyheter (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  54. ^ Anderson, Christina. "At Least 10 Are Killed at School Shooting in Sweden". New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 February 2025. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  55. ^ "Aflysning af officielle flagdage i lyset af den tragiske begivenhed i Sverige" (in Danish). Justitsministeriet. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  56. ^ "Kristersson: "Viktigast att polisen får arbetsro"". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 5 February 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  57. ^ "Øresundsbron lyser op for ofrene i Örebro". Via Ritzau (in Danish). 5 February 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  58. ^ "One of the victims of Sweden's deadliest mass shooting called his fiancee to say he loved her". AP News. 7 February 2025. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
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