OREBRO, SWEDEN - 5 FEBRUARY: Mourners gather at the site to pay tribute to the victims on 5 February 2025 in Orebro, Sweden. On Tuesday a gunman opened fire in an adult education center at Risbergska School, in the Swedish city of Orebro, about 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of the capital, Stockholm. According to police, the attack left at least 11 people dead. The suspect is believed to be among the dead. (Photo by Jonas Gratzer/Getty Images)

What We Know About Sweden's Deadliest Mass Shooting

By Sara Mosqueda

6 February 2025

During the early afternoon of 4 February, a shooter in Orebro, Sweden, opened fire at an adult education school roughly 125 miles from Stockholm. The incident is the worst mass shooting in Sweden's history.

The gunman, who authorities have not yet officially identified, attacked after many students had already left the school after a national exam, according to The Associated Press. With a student body of roughly 2,000 adults, Campus Risbergska offers those aged 20 years and older primary and secondary educational classes, as well as vocational training, Swedish-language classes for immigrants, and programs for people with intellectual disabilities.

When 130 police officers arrived in response to alarms about the shooting, the gunman apparently opened fire on them. Officials said that none of the responding officers were injured.

After the shooting, police searched for any casualties throughout the school, which spans nearly 183,000 square feet. The attack left 11 people dead, including the gunman, and another six people injured. Five of the injured were treated for serious gunshot wounds but are now in stable condition, with at least three of them requiring surgery.

On Wednesday, the first victim to be named was identified as Salim Iskef, 29, an Orthodox Christian and refugee who fled his home country of Syria when war broke out in 2015, according to The Independent. Although Swedish police have not released the names of the victims, Iskef’s identity was released by his family and a local church. Investigators have told the media that the victims present a range of nationalities, genders, and ages.

“Police said they were using fingerprints, dental records, and DNA to identify them—alongside interviews with family members,” the BBC reported.

The shooting has been felt not only by the victims, their families, and the survivors, but by all of Sweden, a nation where gun violence in schools is a rarity. Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, King Carl XVI, and Queen Silvia attended a memorial service on Wednesday, and the Swedish Football Association said it will start upcoming international matches with a moment of silence. All flags belonging to government buildings and royal palaces were only raised to half-staff on Wednesday.

“This is not a Swedish problem, it’s a problem that we have seen throughout the world,” John Johansson, chairman of Orebro’s municipal board, told the AP. The sentiment is understandable since gun violence was previously altogether a rarity for the nation, but that seems to be changing in recent years. In Sweden there were 296 shootings in 2024, a decrease from 2023 and 2022 when there were 368 and 391 shootings respectively, according to police data.

As for violence in schools, there have been some recent attacks, notably in March 2022 when an 18-year-old student armed with an ax, knife, and hammer stabbed and killed two teachers in Malmo. In fact, the nation’s “homicide rate has risen to among the highest in the European Union, the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention said this year,” according to The New York Times.

The shooter may have attended the school before the attack. He was found dead after the shooting, with three guns, 10 empty magazines, and a large amount of unused ammunition. His cause of death is unclear.

The gunman’s motive is also unclear for now, although authorities have said that he acted alone and presented no warning signs prior to the attack. Officials noted that they do not suspect the shooter had a connection to any terrorist groups. In fact, he has been described as a recluse by a Swedish tabloid, Aftonbladet, according to Al Jazeera.

Another report from Sveriges Television, a Swedish public service television company, said that the gunman lived in the town and had a hunting license. Authorities confirmed that he had licenses for four weapons. To legally possess a firearm in Sweden, an applicant must complete various requirements. He or she must obtain a weapon license and prove that the firearm will be used for an acceptable reason, like hunting or target shooting. Applicants must also present a valid hunting or target shooting certificate, which each have their own requirements, according to the AP.