Sweden’s worst mass shooting left at least 11 people dead, including the gunman, and at least five seriously wounded at an adult education centre west of Stockholm.
The gunman’s motive had not been determined on Wednesday, a day after the shooting, as the Scandinavian nation — where gun violence at schools is very rare — reeled from the attack.
“Not in this place,” Malin Hilmberg, 37, told The Associated Press as she stood near a growing makeshift memorial near the scene.
“I mean, we heard about it in different parts of the world, but of course it’s a shock. It’s your hometown and so many lives destroyed. It’s hard to find words.”
Officials said three women and two men, all with gunshot wounds, underwent surgery at Orebro University Hospital.
All were in serious but stable condition after being admitted to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Another woman was treated for minor injuries and was stable.
Jonas Claesson, regional director of health and medical services, said that two of the gunshot victims were in intensive care on Wednesday.
All of the victims are over age 18, officials said.
The school, Campus Risbergska, offers primary and secondary educational classes for adults age 20 and older, Swedish-language classes for immigrants, vocational training and programmes for people with intellectual disabilities.
It is on the outskirts of Orebro, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) west of Stockholm.
Sweden’s Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer called the shooting “an event that shakes our entire society to its core”.
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson ordered flags flown at half-staff at the Royal Palace and government buildings while mourners gathered outside the school, comforting one another and dropping off candles and flowers to honour the victims.
The king and Queen Silvia visited Orebro on Wednesday and attended a memorial service.
The shooting started on Tuesday afternoon after many students had gone home following a national exam.
Survivors scrambled for cover as the shots rang out, sheltering behind or under whatever they could find to escape the gunman.
Other students sheltered in nearby buildings, and other parts of the school were evacuated following the shooting.
Authorities were working to identify the deceased.
Police said that officers discovered the gunman dead at the school when they arrived. It was unclear how he died.
Roberto Eid Forest, head of the local police, said that the school’s large premises meant it took a long time for officers to search the campus to ensure there were no more victims.
Police heard gunshots when they arrived and initially thought they were being fired upon, he said.
Eid Forest said that six officers were treated for smoke inhalation.
There was not a fire, he said, but authorities did not immediately know what caused the smoke.
Police would not say whether the shooter had multiple guns, nor would they say what kind of firearm was used in the shooting.
While gun violence at schools is very rare in Sweden, people were wounded or killed with other weapons such as knives or axes in several incidents in recent years.
There were no warnings beforehand, and police believe the perpetrator acted alone.
Police have not said if the man was a student at the school and they have not yet released a possible motive, but authorities said there were no suspected connections to terrorism at this point.
Police raided the suspect’s home after Tuesday’s shooting, but it was not immediately clear what they found.
Police cautioned the public against spreading incorrect narratives on social media.
