The individual responsible for Sweden’s deadliest mass shooting was an unemployed 35-year-old man with a hunting license, who authorities believe acted independently.
A heartbreaking event occurred at an adult education centre in Orebro, about 200 kilometres west of Stockholm. Police reports indicate that the incident resulted in the deaths of at least 11 people, including the shooter.
Swedish authorities have indicated that the shooting, which took place on Tuesday, did not appear to be ideologically motivated. The gunman, who had not previously been on the police radar and had no criminal record or known gang affiliations, was not immediately identified by the officials.
Sweden’s Minister of Justice, Gunnar Strommer, confirmed the attacker’s identity as a male during a press conference held on the same day as the attack.
Reports from Aftonbladet, a daily tabloid, suggest that the man believed to have carried out the shooting had been estranged from his family for many years, leading a reclusive life. Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported that the gunman, a resident of Orebro, used a hunting rifle in the attack—an assertion that aligns with the high rate of licensed hunters in Sweden.
The educational facility targeted in the attack primarily serves adults seeking to complete their formal education or improve their academic qualifications to access higher education opportunities. This campus also includes schools that cater to younger students.
Read: Deadly Shooting at Swedish Education Centre Leaves 10 Dead, Including Suspect
This incident casts a spotlight on Sweden’s ongoing issues with gang violence and the proliferation of illegal firearms, despite the country’s relatively high rate of gun ownership—primarily for hunting purposes compared to other European nations, though significantly lower than in the United States.
