On 4 February 2025, aschool shooting occurred atCampus Risbergska, anadult education center inÖrebro, Sweden. The shooter was identified as 35-year-old Rickard Andersson; his motives for the attack are still under investigation by theSwedish Police Authority and theSwedish Security Service.[2][3][4] Eleven people were killed, including the perpetrator,[1][2] and six others injured. Six people were hospitalised, with authorities warning there may be more casualties.[5] According to Swedish prime ministerUlf Kristersson, it is the deadliest mass shooting in the country's history.[6]
Campus Risbergska is anadult education (komvux) center, primarily attended by people who have not completed primary or secondary school. Located inÖrebro in central Sweden, the school shares a campus with several other educational institutions.[3]
The campus was originally a girls school that opened in 1863, but was expanded to include secondary education without the right to graduate. Over the years, the school has changed its focus and name, and primary to the opening of the campus on the premises, the area was a high school dedicated for students with disabilities. Campus Risbergska as it's known today was first opened in 2017. The following year, the learning centre of the campus was expanded At the time, around 2,000 adult students were enrolled at the school.[7]
Reports indicate that the perpetrator, Rickard Andersson, arrived at Campus Risbergska approximately 1.5 hours before the attack after taking a bus. He was seen near the school's entrance at 10:59CET, but his exact movements inside the building remain unclear.[8]
Law enforcement were called around 12:33 and arrived six minutes later.[9] Two teachers at the school toldDagens Nyheter that they heard gunshots from a corridor, followed by silence for a half-hour, and then more shooting.[10] The perpetrator fired 70 shots during the shooting.[11] Around 120 police officers were dispatched to the school following the shooting.[12]
According to the police, shots were still being fired on the premises during the search.[13] Police never confronted or saw the shooter alive, who was found dead an hour after the initial report.[14][1][15]
Maria Pegado, a teacher at the school, recalled hearing the shots and escaped with her 15 students through the hallway.[16] 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 ofMyrorna [sv], a nearby second-hand store.[17] 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.[2]
TheSwedish Police Authority stated that the presumed perpetrator is believed to haveacted alone, and was confirmed dead in the shooting.[1][18] 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.[19] Three firearms were found near his body, along with ten emptymagazines, 100 cartridges and large amounts of unused ammunition.[20][21] Police confirmed that Andersson used three smoke grenades during the attack.[11]Aftonbladet reported that the weapons were transported into the school inside a guitar case and in two bags, while the gunman changed into a military style garb in one of the school bathrooms before carrying out the shooting.[22]
Police soon cordoned off the area.[3] Ambulances were sent from the neighbouring counties ofSödermanland andVästmanland to assist medical personnel in Örebro, whileVärmland sent blood.[23][24][25] In addition, Värmland andDalarna provided police reinforcements.[24][26]
Deaths by citizenship or country of origin[27][28]
Citizenship
Deaths
Syria
2
Afghanistan
1
Bosnia and Herzegovina
1
Eritrea
1
Iran
1
Iraq
1
Somalia
1
Undisclosed
2
Total
10
In total, eleven people, including the perpetrator of the shooting, were killed. Six people were taken toÖrebro University Hospital, five of whom had gunshot wounds and sustained life-threatening injuries.[29][2] The fatalities included seven women and three men; their ages ranged between 28 and 68 years.[30] Six police officers were treated forsmoke inhalation and police confirmed that the perpetrator used at least onesmoke grenade in the shooting.[31]
Two citizens ofBosnia and Herzegovina were identified as having been shot. One, a female volunteer named Selma Hukić, was killed while another, a janitor, was injured, but not critically.[12][32] Both victims originated fromTuzla.[33]
Two male refugees fromSyria were confirmed among the fatalities. One of these victims, Salim Iskef, was a 28-year-oldAssyrian who fled fromISIS and was part of Orebro'sAssyrian community.[34][35] He was due to get married in the summer, and during the shooting, he had managed to call his fiancée to ask her to look after his mother.[36] His funeral was held eight days later at aSyriac Orthodox parish.[37]
Two women, anEritrean and aKurdish citizen ofIraq (originally fromShaqlawa) who both worked at the school were among the fatalities.[38] Elsa Teklay, the Eritrean victim of the massacre, had arrived to Sweden from Eritrea in 2015 and was a nursing student at the time.[39] Three other fatalities were identified as citizens of Afghanistan, Iran and Somalia.[40][41] Ali Mohammed Jafari, who was the Afghan victim, was training to be a janitor at the time of the shooting, and was 31 years old; the Iranian victim, Niloofar, was 42 and also a nursing student.[42]
A photo of Andersson walking to Campus Risbergska shortly before the shooting
The day after the shooting, 35-year-old Rickard Andersson (born 10 August 1989 as Jonas Rickard Simon) was identified as the shooter.[43][44][45][46] Andersson had always lived in Örebro and had been enrolled at Campus Risbergska in 2013 and 2019, but left his most recent course in 2021.[43] His residence was found to have been barricaded when it was raided by the police.[2][47] Prior to the shooting, Andersson purchased a large amount of ammunition and smoke grenades.[48]TV4 reported that he had afirearms licence, owned 4 weapons (aBrowning BAR (.30-06), aRuger 10/22 (.22 LR), aMossberg 590A1 (12-gauge)and aWinchester 1300 (12-gauge)) and had no prior criminal convictions.[49][50] He was also reported to be living reclusively since 2016 and was unemployed.[51] Police have not yet found a clear motive for the attack but stated that everything indicated the shooter had "no ideological motive."[52]
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."[53]
On 5 February, TV4 published a video clip shared by a person hiding in the building, it claims that the words "you need to leave Europe" were shouted before a bullet was fired.[54] The release of the video and the interpretation has been criticised as being misleading by several audio professionals, who have not been able to reach the same conclusion.[55]
The shooting initially prompted speculation onsocial media about the perpetrator's identity, leading to some individuals being wrongfully accused.[56][57] The police urged the public to not spread unconfirmed information.[1]
Nearby schools were put into lockdown, and police instructed the public to stay away.[10] The Örebro municipal government provided support following the shootings, setting up a crisis centre at the Haga Church. The ÖrebroMosque also stayed open on the evening of 4 February to offer support.[58][16]
On 5 February, KingCarl XVI Gustaf of Sweden andQueen Silvia visited Örebro and laid flowers near the site of the shooting.[59] The National Police CommissionerPetra Lundh stated, "The police have reason to review procedures and guidelines for the handling of weapons licences."[60] On 6 February, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson invited the leaders of all political parties in theRiksdag to attend a cabinet meeting, where aminute of silence was observed for the victims.[61] The ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Sweden Bojan Sosic laid flowers outside of the school in honor of the Bosnian victims of the shooting.[12]
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 athalf-mast from 9 a.m. until the end of the minute of silence.[62]
In the aftermath, businessman and U.S. politicianElon Musk faced criticism for amplifying a misleading claim that European politicians andmainstream media remained silent about the tragedy, claiming that "no European politician" had mentioned the massacre. Before Musk deleted his post, it was seen 1.2 million times, andCommunity Notes had corrected his statements. This assertion was later debunked, as numerous European leaders, includingEuropean Commission PresidentUrsula von der Leyen, publicly condemned the attack, and major media outlets provided extensive coverage.[63]
Roberto Eid Forest, head of the local police, described the scene as "awful, exceptional" and "a nightmare".[73]Flags at all government institutions as well as royal palaces were set athalf-mast on 5 February.[51] On 6 February theSwedish Football Association said it would begin scheduled international matches with a moment of silence for the victims.[20]
On 5 February, the day after the shooting, a memorial service was held atSankt 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.[75] Also, on the night of 5 February, theØresund Bridge was illuminated in the colours of the Swedish flag to honour the victims.[76]
On 7 February, the Swedish government and theSweden Democrats unveiled plans to pass stricter regulations on firearms, including restricting access tosemi-automatic weapons such as theAR-15.[77]
^"Most victims in Swedish mass shooting had immigrant background, say police".The Guardian. 10 February 2025.Among those understood to have been killed in Sweden's deadliest mass shooting, which took place at an adult education centre on Tuesday, were two Syrian men, both refugees, an Eritrean woman, an Iranian woman and a female teacher from Kurdistan.
Syria
Afghanistan
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Eritrea
Iran
Iraq
Somalia
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