Sweden to tighten gun control laws after mass shooting in Örebro

Sweden's government has announced its intention to pursue a gun control reform law after an attack in the city of Örebro killed 11 people, including the attacker, this week.

The plan would include limiting access to powerful semi-automatic weapons, such as AR-15 rifles, and strengthening suitability testing of individuals who want to obtain a gun license.

A framework will also be developed to more effectively report people who may be medically unfit to possess firearms.

Swedish news outlets identified the suspect of Tuesday's attack as Rickard Andersson, a 35-year-old who lived in Örebro and may have attended the adult education centre in which he opened fire.

A relative of Andersson told the Aftonbladet tabloid that he was unemployed and had lost contact with family in recent years.

Police officers — who have not formally identified the shooter — said the suspect was found with three weapons that were registered to his name. Lying next to him were large amounts of unused ammunition as well as gun licenses for four firearms.

Swedish radio SVT said that the ongoing police investigation lists an automatic firearm as the weapon used.

Gunfire erupted at around 12:30 CET at the Risbergska school, which according to its website offers classes to around 2,000 adults.

Authorities said they sent a "major operation" to the school minutes after they were alerted, including police cars and armed officers. Nearby schools were locked down as parts of the Risbergska school were evacuated.

Örebro's police chief Lars Wirén said during a press conference that officers confronted a chaotic scene with smoke filling the building and the gunman firing as many rounds as possible. He described the school as an "inferno" and said officers did not know if they were dealing with one or multiple attackers.

At least six other adults were wounded in addition to those killed. Five people, three women and two men, remain in hospital according to local authorities — including two in the Intensive Care Unit.

Police have so far declined to identify those killed in the attack, but the Syrian embassy in Stockholm said that its citizens were believed to be among the victims.

Anna Bergqvist, who is heading the police investigation, said those killed were of "multiple nationalities, different genders and different ages", and that police were looking into whether there was evidence of a racist motive.

The attack has sent shockwaves through Sweden, with the country's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson calling it the "worst mass shooting in Swedish history".

Before the attack on Tuesday, Sweden had experienced at least two school attacks in the past decade — neither carried out with a gun.

The country has strict gun laws with high application fees. Gun violence, however, has been on the rise, with police figures showing 391 incidents logged in 2022.