Ten Killed in Sweden School Shooting, PM Calls It ’ A Very Painful Day’

By Staff, Agencies

At least ten people have been killed in a school shooting in Sweden on what the country's Prime Minister called a "very painful day". 

Police believe the gunman was among the dead and that he acted alone. His motive for targeting the school was not immediately clear. 

Emergency services arrived at Campus Risbergska in Orebro, Sweden, shortly before 1pm on Tuesday due to gunfire reports.

The shooting took place in a campus area where several schools, for both children and adults, are located.

"It is a very painful day for the whole of Sweden," Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on X.

Maria Pegado, a 54-year-old teacher, reported that after lunch break, someone opened her classroom door and urged everyone to leave.

"I took all my 15 students out into the hallway and we started running," she told Reuters by phone. "Then I heard two shots but we made it out. We were close to the school entrance."

"I saw people dragging injured out, first one, then another. I realised it was very serious," she said.

A spokesman told a news conference that police officers first at the scene were met with smoke. 

Students were forced to shelter in nearby buildings during the attack. Other parts of the school were swiftly evacuated. 

Andreas Sundling, 28, was among those forced to barricade themselves inside the school.

"We heard three bangs and loud screams," he told Expressen newspaper while sheltering in a classroom.

The school serves students who are over age 20, according to its website.

Sweden is grappling with a persistent gang crime issue, resulting in a surge in shootings and bombings, despite the rarity of fatal school attacks.