GENEVA — A sword attack at a school in central Sweden left one person dead and at least two others seriously wounded Friday, authorities said. Police identified the suspect as an 18-year-old man.
Police Chief Tommy Alriksson said at a news conference that officers arrested the suspect after the violence unfolded at a school in Fagersta, a town northwest of Stockholm.
Authorities said police fired shots during the arrest. Officials did not immediately say whether the suspect was struck, but confirmed he was in custody rather than receiving hospital treatment.
The attack happened at Brinell School in Fagersta while lessons were underway, officials said. Between 400 and 500 students were believed to be on campus at the time.
Investigators had not released any immediate information about a possible motive for the attack.
“We have no reason at this time to believe that there are multiple perpetrators,” Alriksson said, noting that the investigation remained active.
Sweden’s national police said investigators had already conducted two searches at homes linked to the suspect. Authorities also expected to interview numerous witnesses as they worked to establish what happened.
“That’s why we can’t give out too much information, because we don’t want to influence witnesses,” Alriksson said.
Vastmanland County, where the town is located, said the two seriously injured boys were between 12 and 17 years old, the TT news agency reported. It did not provide details about the dead person.
Police spokesperson Pelle Vamstad, quoted by TT, said an alarm was received in the early afternoon Friday. Police cordoned off a wide area around the school as part of their response. Several nearby schools had been locked down following the incident, and roadblocks were set up, authorities said.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, in a post earlier on the X social media platform, lamented the violence in Fagersta “right after the summer break.”
“We do not yet know what lies behind the act, but we know that the police are working very intensively,” he added. “Our thoughts are with all those affected.”
The Fagersta city government set up a crisis center in a sports hall near the school. The Vastmanland County government said “many people” were affected and that police, fire services, and healthcare workers were among those caring for them.
