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An 18-year-old man armed with a sword attacked students at a Swedish high school, killing one person and injuring three before police shot and detained him.
Mariyam Adheela
Photo: TT News Agency via Associated Press
FAGERSTA, Sweden: An 18-year-old man armed with a sword attacked students at Brinell High School in central Sweden on Friday, killing one person and injuring three others before police shot and detained him on suspicion of murder.
The attack took place Friday afternoon in Fagersta, a town of around 13,000 people. The school had recently reopened after the summer break, with the day marking the first day back for some students.
Police said officers responded quickly after the attack was reported. Police said the first patrol to enter the school reported that the suspect had been subdued by gunfire.
The local health authority said two teenage boys were severely injured, while a third injured person was treated and released from hospital.
Swedish public broadcaster SVT, citing unnamed sources, reported that the suspect was a former student at the school. The report said he was wearing a helmet and carrying a sword and had a previous conviction for assault.
Students described seeing bloodied victims and heavily armed police arriving at the school. The school and several other public buildings in Fagersta were placed under lockdown during the emergency response.
Fagersta Mayor Åsa-Märta Sjöström said the town had been shaken by the incident and that authorities were focusing on supporting students and staff.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson cancelled a speech scheduled for Saturday following the attack and expressed sympathy for those affected.
King Carl XVI Gustaf also said he received news of the attack with “dismay and sadness”.
The attack comes after several previous incidents of violence at Swedish schools. In February 2025, a gunman killed 10 people at a school in Örebro before taking his own life.
In 2015, a masked attacker armed with a sword killed a teaching assistant and two students at a school in Trollhättan before being shot dead by police. Authorities later said the attack was racially motivated.
