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Three Killed In Sweden’s Shooting

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

STOCKHOLM (Worthy News) – A massive police operation was underway Tuesday in a Swedish university city after three people were killed in a shooting that shocked the Nordic nation.

Local media reported that three people were killed in a hair salon in the Swedish city of Uppsala, some 45 miles (73 kilometers) north of Stockholm, the capital.

Witnesses recalled hearing “five shots” at about 5 p.m. local time and seeing people running in different directions to take cover.

A masked person was seen fleeing the crime scene on an electric scooter, and a police hunt was underway, said police, who appealed to the public for information.

“Quite soon, we encountered three people who appeared to have been shot. They did not need to be taken to hospital,” Magnus Jansson Klarin, a spokesperson for Uppsala police, told Svenska Dagbladet newspaper.

“We cannot answer whether there is one or more perpetrators at this time,” he added. The motives were not immediate clear.

‘BRUTAL ACT’

Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer condemned the “brutal act of violence” and said his department was in close contact with police and was closely monitoring developments.

The deadly incident came as the city prepared to celebrate Valborg – a Swedish bonfire festival marking the arrival of spring – on Wednesday, with an event to be attended by thousands of people.

Electric scooters like the one seen after the shooting have been used several times as a mode of transport after gang shootings in the country, underscoring broader security concerns.

In February, 10 people were killed in the city of Orebro in the country’s deadliest-ever mass shooting after a 35-year-old opened fire in an adult learning center.

The attack Tuesday reminded the nation that more deadly shootings can’t be avoided.

“What has happened is extremely serious,” said Minister Strömmer.