STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Law enforcement officials in Sweden announced on Thursday that their swift action during a mass shooting earlier this month averted further fatalities in the nation’s most tragic killing spree to date. The assailant, whose identity has been disclosed by Reuters and various news outlets as Rickard Andersson, perpetrated the fatal shooting of 10 individuals within a 15-minute rampage on February 4, ultimately taking his own life at the Campus Risbergska adult education center in the city of Orebro. The motive behind the heinous act remains shrouded in mystery.
Upon receiving the initial distress call, police responded to the scene within approximately six minutes, despite facing gunfire upon arrival. However, it took authorities an hour to locate the shooter’s lifeless body, prompting inquiries from the public and some survivors regarding the handling of the crisis. Describing the campus as a chaotic scene upon their arrival, police highlighted the challenge posed by Andersson’s deployment of three smoke grenades, which impeded their navigation.
Deputy Regional Police Chief Niclas Hallgren recounted during a press briefing, “Following the perpetrator’s assault on our patrol, only two additional shots were fired: a shotgun blast that fortunately missed its mark and another shot that put an end to the perpetrator’s life.” Andersson, a 35-year-old unemployed loner in possession of four registered firearms, succumbed to his self-inflicted gunshot wound twelve minutes after the initial alarm. His remains were discovered within the educational establishment alongside three firearms, with reports indicating that he had discharged 70 rounds and possessed over 100 unused cartridges.
Authorities reiterated their belief that Andersson targeted his victims indiscriminately and emphasized their exhaustive examination of evidence, though a clear motive for the massacre remains elusive. “Our investigative efforts are all-encompassing, and we are not ruling out any leads,” stated Deputy Police Operation Commander Emelie Bodegrim. “Nevertheless, we must brace ourselves for the possibility that the answers we seek may remain elusive.”
(Reporting by Johan Ahlander; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
