Swedish Police Say 10 Killed In School Shooting (Update)

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

OREBRO, SWEDEN (Worthy News) – At least 10 people have been killed in what the prime minister described as Sweden’s worst mass shooting in the Nordic nation’s history.

The gunman was believed to be among the dead following the shooting at the Risbergska school for adult education in Örebro, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Stockholm, the capital.

Dramatic video footage emerged showing students sheltering under tables during the attack.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said, however, that parents can feel safe sending their children to school in Sweden starting Wednesday. “We must not spread further fear because the vast majority of schools are very safe places,” he told the nation.

“I trust that, and I hope others trust that.” The prime minister added that he has “very close relatives” whose children “were sheltering in place at their school today.”

He also thanked the emergency services, whose work was “a matter of life and death.”

The prime minister stressed, “Many, many parents have an important task ahead of them when it comes to talking to their children. ”

‘HEINOUS ACT’

However, “My thoughts, the thoughts of all of Sweden, are now with first and foremost with those who are the direct victims of this heinous act,” he said.

“Your grief is our grief. We are with you.”

Gunnar Strommer, the justice minister, said taking in the magnitude of Tuesday’s events is difficult.

“We know that about ten people have been killed, and many others are injured,” he explained. “Our police and healthcare workers are taking care of these people.”

He confirmed that “The primary suspect is now considered to be one of the people that died. It was a person not known to the police previously.”

Strommer cautioned, “We still don’t know why this happened or the motives. We hope to have those answers.”

As the search for answers continued in a grieving nation, Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf described the shooting as a “terrible atrocity” in a statement from the Royal House. “With sadness and dismay, my family and I have received the information about the terrible atrocity in Orebro,” he said.

EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES

“We send our condolences tonight to the families and friends of the deceased. Our thoughts at this time also go to the injured and their relatives, as well as to others affected,” the king added.

“My family and I would like to express our great appreciation for the police, rescue, and medical personnel who worked intensively to save and protect human lives on this dark day.”

It came as doctors struggled to save the lives of those who were rushed to hospital. The regional authorities confirmed that the number of people taken to Örebro University Hospital after the attack has risen to six.

At least five people were suffering from gunshot wounds, including four undergoing surgery, one of whom is considered critically injured, officials said.

The fifth and the sixth people are considered to have “minor injuries,” a hospital update added. None of those admitted to hospital so far were children, according to authorities.

The shooting shocked the nation, which had recently joined the NATO military alliance and was known for its relatively safe and open society.

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