About 10 dead at the Adult Education Center in what officials say is the worst massive shooting in Sweden

“But the time will come when we will know what happened, how could it happen and what reasons may have been behind him. Let’s not speculate, ”he said.

Armed violence in schools is very rare in Sweden. But there have been several incidents in recent years in which people were injured or killed with other weapons such as knives or axes.

The Minister of Justice, Gunnar Strömmer, described the shooting “an event that shakes our entire society in its nucleus.”

While the Swedes read about such violence in other places, Strömmer said the country previously felt that it would not happen there. Other tragedies in Swedish schools did not go to the point of Tuesday’s attack, he said, calling him “indescribablely sad” for the community.

The shooting also sent shock waves through Europe, with officials in Brussels expressing their indignation for butcher shop.

“What happened today in Örebro is really horrible,” wrote the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on social networks. “Such violence and terror do not take place in our societies, which least in schools. In this dark hour, we are with the people of Sweden.

The damage to the crime scene was so extensive that the investigators could not be more definitive about the number of deaths, said Roberto Eid Forest, head of the Local Police.

Police said the death toll could increase. Eid Forest told reporters that the alleged gunman was among those killed. The police believe that the author acted alone, and the police did not know before, the authorities said.

The authorities said there was no suspicion of connections with terrorism at this time, but that the police did not provide a reason.

“Of course, we all want to understand why this happened, what happened and what reasons could the author have,” Kristerson said. “We will have to wait for those answers; in due time, the image will become clearer.”

The police raided the suspect’s house after Tuesday’s shooting, but it was not immediately clear what they found. Eid Forest said there were no warning signs before the attack. The authorities were working to identify the deceased.

The Swedish king Carl XVI Gustaf praised the police and the rescue and doctor who responded to the shooting, and issued words of comfort to the families of the victims.

“It is sadly and dismay that my family and I have received information about the terrible atrocity in Örebro,” said the monarch in a statement. “We send our condolences tonight to the families and friends of the deceased. Our thoughts at this time also go to the injured and their relatives, as well as others affected. ”

The shooting exploded after many students went home after a national exam. Police vehicles and ambulances, the lights flash, covered the parking lots and the streets around the school when a helicopter buzzed above.

The teacher Lena Warenmark told SVT News that there were unusually few students on the campus on Tuesday afternoon after the exam. He also told the station that he probably heard 10 shots.

Protected students in nearby buildings. Other parts of the school were evacuated after the shooting, which began around 12:30 pm local time (1130 GMT).

Andreas Sundling, 28, was one of those forced to lock himself within school.

“We listen to three strokes and strong shouts,” Expresssen told the newspaper while taking refuge in a classroom.

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Geir Moulson contributed to this Berlin report.