Sweden’s worst mass shooting has left at least 11 people dead, including the gunman, at an adult education centre west of Stockholm.
Officials have warned the death toll could rise, with five other people seriously injured.
The gunman’s motive has not yet been determined as Sweden – where firearms crime at schools is very rare – reeled from an attack so violent that police early on said it was difficult to count the number of dead.
It is on the outskirts of Orebro, which is about 125 miles west of Stockholm.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer called the shooting “an event that shakes our entire society to its core”.
The shooting started on Tuesday afternoon after many students had gone home following a national exam.
Authorities are working to identify the deceased, and police said the toll could rise. Roberto Eid Forest, head of the local police, told reporters the suspected gunman was among the dead.
There were no warnings beforehand, and police believe the perpetrator acted alone.
Police have not said if the man was a student at the school. They have not released a possible motive, but authorities said there were no suspected connections to terrorism at this point.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told reporters in Stockholm on Tuesday night: “Today, we have witnessed brutal, deadly violence against completely innocent people.
“This is the worst mass shooting in Swedish history. Many questions remain unanswered, and I cannot provide those answers either.
“But the time will come when we will know what happened, how it could occur, and what motives may have been behind it. Let us not speculate.”
While gun violence at schools is very rare in Sweden, people have been injured or killed with other weapons such as knives or axes in several incidents in recent years.
