A 17-YEAR-OLD girl was killed in a sword attack at a secondary school in central Sweden, police confirmed, as investigators continued to probe the motive behind the assault.
The BBC reported on Sunday that two boys, aged 12 and 17, were seriously injured in the attack at Brinell School in Fagersta on Friday afternoon, while a third person suffered minor injuries, according to local authorities.
An 18-year-old man, whose identity has not been released, was arrested and police are treating the case as murder and attempted murder.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and opposition leader Magdalena Andersson visited the school on Saturday morning, where members of the public had left flowers in tribute to the victims.
The attack occurred shortly after students returned to school following the summer holidays.
Police said officers fired shots after being called to the scene, although they did not disclose whether the suspect was struck before he was detained.
Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported that the suspect was wearing a helmet, while local media reported that he was a former student at the school.
The region was placed under a state of emergency on Friday following the attack, but the emergency was lifted on Saturday.
Police said investigators had already conducted two searches of properties linked to the suspect as part of the investigation.
Brinell School has just under 500 students, according to SVT, and is located about 170km (105 miles) north-west of Stockholm.
Kristersson described the incident on Friday as a "serious incident", saying: "we do not know what lies behind the act, but we know that police are working very intensively".
Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf said he received news of the attack "with dismay and sadness". - August 23, 2026
