Swedish police warn of online misinformation after mass school shooting

Swedish police said on Wednesday there was no evidence of "ideological motives" behind a mass shooting at an adult education centre on Tuesday, and warned of misinformation spread on social media about the Nordic country's deadliest gun attack.At least 11 people died and many others were wounded in the shooting at the Risbergska school in Orebro, a town of over 100 000 people, where large numbers of police continued to cordon off the centre and several schools located on its campus complex.A vigil with candles and flowers had been set up nearby."We want to be clear that based on investigative and intelligence information at present, there is no information pointing to the culprit acting on ideological motives," police said in a brief statement on its website.Police have said the motive for the crime was not immediately known, and that they believed the suspected perpetrator, who was among the dead and was not known previously to the police, acted alone.Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Tuesday said the attack was the worst mass shooting in Swedish history, calling it a "painful day", while King Carl XVI Gustav conveyed his condolences.Chaotic scenesThere was blood everywhere," 16-year-old Linn told reporters at the scene.Linn, who goes to a different school near the site, told AFP news agency "it was chaos", with people panicking and crying.Flags at official buildings in Orebro, some 200 km west of Stockholm, as well as at the Swedish parliament and the royal palace in the capital, were flying at half-mast as a sign of respect and mourning."Our task is to take care of those attending the affected school, those who work there as well as inhabitants of Orebro who are worried and sad," Orebro municipal director Peter Larsson said in a statement.A student at the Risbergska school recalled how she and others tried to help one of the victims."A guy next to me was shot in the shoulder. He was bleeding a lot. When I looked behind me, I saw three people on the floor bleeding," Marwa, who only gave her first name, told TV4 Sweden.Marwa said she and another friend tried to help the injured person by wrapping a shawl around the man's shoulder "so that he wouldn't bleed so much".Teacher Lena Warenmark recalled hearing around 10 gunshots close to her study, telling Swedish public radio that she heard a few bangs in short succession, followed by a short pause, and then a few more.No more dangerMany students in Sweden's adult school system are immigrants seeking to improve their basic education and gain degrees to help them find jobs in the Nordic country while also learning Swedish.Police said in a statement it did not see any general threat against schools or pre-schools in the country, nor against adult education schools, including Swedish classes for immigrants."We also at present don't see any danger to the public, even if we understand that the incident raises concerns and many questions," it said.Sweden has been struggling with a wave of shootings and bombings caused by an endemic gang crime problem that has seen the country of 10 million people record by far the highest per capita rate of gun violence in the EU in recent years.However, fatal attacks at schools are rare.Ten people were killed in seven incidents of deadly violence at schools between 2010 and 2022, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention.

Swedish police warn of online misinformation after mass school shooting

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-19

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Swedish police warn of online misinformation after mass school shooting

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-19

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