School attacks in Sweden over the past 15 years will be reviewed by a new government commission following the deadly attack at a secondary school in Fagersta. The commission will examine how authorities can identify potential perpetrators earlier, address online radicalisation, improve school security and strengthen support after attacks.
The government announced the planned Skoldådskommission on 24 August, three days after the attack at Brinellskolan in Fagersta. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy and Business Ebba Busch, and Minister for Education and Integration (utbildnings- och integrationsminister) Simona Mohamsson presented the initiative jointly on behalf of Sweden’s three governing parties.
The announcement comes as the police investigation into the Fagersta attack continues. A 17-year-old girl was killed and three teenage boys were injured on 21 August. Police arrested an 18-year-old man at the school about ten minutes after receiving the first alarm. He is suspected of murder and attempted murder. Authorities have not yet established a motive publicly.
School attacks in Sweden over the past 15 years
The commission will conduct what the government describes as a broad review of all school attacks that have taken place in Sweden during the past 15 years, examining the response before, during and after each incident.
The government specifically referred to attacks in Trollhättan in 2015, Eslöv in 2021, Malmö in 2022 and Örebro in 2025, as well as the latest attack in Fagersta.
One priority will be improving cooperation between schools, police, social services and healthcare. The commission will assess methods for identifying risk behaviours at an earlier stage, with the government saying psychiatric services should have a particularly important role where individuals may pose a danger to themselves or others.
The Swedish government has already introduced measures intended to improve prevention. Since 1 July 2025, schools have had stronger responsibilities concerning security. The government has also changed information-sharing rules to facilitate cooperation between schools, social services and police.
Online radicalisation and social media will be examined
A second part of the commission’s work will focus on the digital environments in which violent extremism and recruitment to violence can develop.
The review will cover links to extremist networks and movements associated with the far right, the autonomous left and violent Islamist extremism. The commission will also consider what responsibilities should be placed on social media platforms, including measures to identify threats earlier and remove material promoting violence.
This part of the inquiry is particularly relevant to the broader question of how violent content and communities online can influence potential perpetrators. Police are separately investigating the circumstances surrounding the Fagersta attack, and the government has cautioned that it is still too early to draw conclusions about the attacker’s motive.
Finland’s Jokela and Kauhajoki investigations as a reference
The commission will also examine experiences from other countries, with Finland specifically identified as a source of lessons.
Swedish authorities will review the investigations carried out after the school shootings in Jokela and Kauhajoki, according to the government’s announcement. Finnish broadcaster MTV Uutiset reported that the Swedish inquiry will use Finland’s experience as part of its comparative work.
The comparison adds a Nordic dimension to the review, as Sweden looks at how a neighbouring country examined institutional failures and prevention after serious school violence.
Security standards and support after an attack
The commission will also evaluate physical security in Swedish schools. Possible areas include national standards for perimeter protection, locking systems, surveillance cameras and alarm systems.
The government has already provided schools with additional legal possibilities and resources to strengthen these measures. The commission will assess how the changes have been implemented and whether further action is necessary.
Its mandate will extend beyond prevention and the immediate response. The government wants the commission to review crisis support and aftercare for students, staff and relatives following an attack.
Part of this work will focus on the risk of copycat attacks. The commission will examine how authorities, schools and other actors can reduce the possibility that extensive attention around one attack inspires another perpetrator.
The new commission therefore marks a shift from measures addressing individual aspects of school security towards a broader review bringing together education, policing, social services, healthcare, psychiatry and digital platforms. The government has not yet detailed the commission’s composition or timetable, but says its central objective will be to turn lessons from previous attacks in Sweden and elsewhere into measures capable of preventing future violence.
