A sword attack at a Swedish school left several people injured on Friday afternoon at Brinellskolan in Fagersta, central Sweden. At least two people were seriously injured, while a third person was being taken to hospital with injuries whose severity was not yet known, according to Region Västmanland. A suspected male attacker has been detained by police. SVT reported that the attack began shortly after 14:00 on 21 August.
Police and emergency services were called to the upper secondary school at 14:06, after receiving a report classified as an incident of ongoing deadly violence. According to Fagersta Municipality, an individual armed with a sword entered the school and injured several people before being detained. Police said later in the afternoon that there was no indication of an ongoing danger to the public.
At least two seriously injured in the Fagersta school attack
Region Västmanland confirmed that two people had been admitted to hospital with serious injuries. Jonas Cederberg, Director of Health and Medical Care, told SVT that a third injured person was also on the way to hospital, but their condition remained unclear.
The region activated its emergency management structure to coordinate healthcare resources and obtain an overview of the situation. Fagersta Municipality also activated its crisis organisation and opened a support centre at Risbrohallen for students, relatives and others affected by the attack.
Brinellskolan has just under 500 students. Pupils were ordered to remain inside the building while police searched and secured the premises. Several other schools in Fagersta also went into lockdown as a precaution. Students at Brinellskolan began being allowed to leave only later in the afternoon, according to SVT’s live coverage.
Police detained a suspected attacker
Police confirmed that a man suspected of carrying out the attack had been detained. Swedish media reported that the suspect was shot in the leg by police during the intervention, although the circumstances of the shooting had not yet been detailed by police as of late Friday afternoon.
The police operation involved ambulances, a helicopter and specialised police units. Authorities continued searching the school buildings after the suspect had been detained, while asking the public to stay away from the cordoned-off area.
At this stage, police have not announced a motive for the attack.
Sweden’s government is following the investigation
Sweden’s Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer said the government was in close contact with the police and was following developments.
“The police are on the scene and are working very intensively on the incident. The government is in close contact with the police and is continuously following developments.”
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also commented on the attack, saying that authorities did not yet know what was behind it and asking the public to allow police and rescue services to work without disruption. “Our thoughts are with all those affected,” he told SVT.
Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson described the reports from Fagersta as “terrible” and said violence at a school affects people across Sweden.
Fagersta, a municipality of around 12,000 inhabitants in Västmanland County, is located roughly 150 kilometres northwest of Stockholm. Police were still investigating the circumstances of the attack on Friday afternoon, and further information on the victims, the suspect and a possible motive was expected from the authorities.
