By aniketbanerjee A 16-year-old girl, Lin, described the horrifying scene at the site of the attack, telling reporters, “There was blood everywhere.” Sweden’s Prime Minister called it the largest mass shooting in the country’s history.
The attack took place on Tuesday at an adult education centre in Örebro, resulting in the deaths of eleven people, including the suspected gunman. Authorities have yet to determine the exact number of injured individuals.
Lin, a student at a nearby school, shared her experience with AFP News Agency, saying, “There was chaos everywhere. People were panicking and crying.”
The motive behind the attack remains unknown, but according to the police, “all indications suggest it was not ideologically driven.”
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson acknowledged the gravity of the situation, saying, “It is difficult to comprehend the seriousness of what has happened.” His office announced that flags at government buildings, Parliament, and the Royal Palace would be flown at half mast on Wednesday as a mark of respect.
A student from Risbergska School recalled the terrifying moments when she and others tried to assist one of the victims.
“A boy sitting next to me was shot in the shoulder. He was bleeding heavily. When I looked behind me, I saw three people lying on the floor covered in blood,” said Marwa, who provided only her first name while speaking to Sweden’s TV4 channel.
Marwa explained that she and a friend wrapped a shawl around the wounded boy’s shoulder to slow the bleeding.
“Everyone was in shock.”
A teacher, Lina Warenmark, reported hearing around ten gunshots near her study room. Speaking to Swedish Public Radio, she described hearing a series of shots, followed by a brief pause, and then more gunfire.
She remained inside her study room for over an hour, fearing for her safety.
The facility where the attack occurred is part of a larger educational complex, primarily serving students who have not completed primary or secondary school.
Police have warned that the death toll may rise as several people remain critically injured.
Helen Verme, another student at Risbergska School, was present during the shooting. She recalled how her teacher frantically instructed students to lock the doors and lie on the floor.
Speaking to Sweden’s public broadcaster SVT, Helen described the agonising wait and said her biggest fear was whether she would make it home to her children.
Ali El Mokad, a relative of a person believed to have been at the school during the attack, stood outside a local hospital, anxiously waiting for news about his loved ones.
“It doesn’t look very good,” Mr. Mokad told Reuters news agency.
He mentioned that his cousin knew someone at the school, and when she first called her friend, “she collapsed to the ground because she was crying so much.”
Describing the horrifying scene his cousin’s friend had witnessed, Mr. Mokad said, “She thought what she saw was terrifying. She only saw injured people lying on the floor, with blood everywhere.”
Such attacks are extremely rare in Sweden. While school shootings have occurred in the past, none have been on this scale.
The most recent incident before this took place last September, when a 15-year-old boy was suspected of shooting and injuring a classmate at a school south of Stockholm. However, that attack was linked to Sweden’s ongoing gang violence crisis.
