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Sweden school shooting: What we know about the victims and attacker

Sweden school shooting: What we know about the victims and attacker

A shooting on Tuesday at an adult education campus in central Sweden killed at least 11 people, including the attacker, the police said on Wednesday. Here is what we know so far: What happened and when? A shooting took place in an adult school in the city of Orebro at 12:33pm local time (11:33 GMT) on Tuesday and the police initially reported that five people were killed. Shots were fired in quick succession, witnesses say and videos show. Teachers inside the school said that when they heard the gunshots, they fled classrooms or barricaded themselves inside. Maria Pegado, 54, a teacher at the school, told Reuters: “I took all my 15 students out into the hallway and we started running. Then I heard two shots but we made it out. We were close to the school entrance. I saw people dragging injured out, first one, then another. I realised it was very serious.” Where was the shooting? The shooting took place at Campus Risbergska in Orebro city, 200km (124 miles) west of the Swedish capital Stockholm. (Al Jazeera) What is Risbergska School for adults? The school is for people over 20 years of age who were unable to complete their formal education or who did not receive the grades they needed for higher education. Schools such as Risbergska are known as “Komvux” in Swedish. Advertisement The school caters for about 2,000 students and also offers vocational training and Swedish language classes. What do we know about the attacker? Swedish police say the suspected attacker – a man – was dead when they found him. Orebro police chief Roberto Eid Forest told a news conference on Wednesday that “there is a lot to indicate that” the suspect had turned the gun on himself. The police said the motive for the shooting is as yet unclear and under investigation, but they believe he was acting alone. The attacker was unknown to police before the shooting, and the police said they did not find links between him and any gangs or groups. It is unclear if this means that any link to terrorism has been ruled out. Swedish public service television company Sveriges Television (SVT) said, without citing sources, that the man lived in Orebro and had a hunting licence. The broadcaster added that he was using a hunting weapon. Swedish daily tabloid Aftonbladet reported that the man was 35 years old. The outlet reported that relatives said he was a recluse who had withdrawn from family and friends. What do we know about the victims? Authorities confirmed on Wednesday that 11 people, including the attacker, were killed. Authorities have not confirmed the number of people injured yet, and the police have warned that the death toll could rise, according to SVT. The police told the Wednesday news conference that six people had been taken to the local university hospital, five of whom had gunshot wounds. Two people remain in intensive care. Advertisement “We do not have a complete picture at this time regarding the number of injured,” police spokesperson Fredrik Svedemyr was quoted by Anadolu news agency as saying. “Since we also do not have any information about the injury situation for those being treated in hospital, there is unfortunately a risk that the number will not stop at 11,” said Svedemyr. What are the reactions? Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf said in a statement on Tuesday that he had received the news of the shooting with “sadness and dismay”. All flags of government buildings and royal palaces were flying at half-staff on Wednesday. This was announced in media releases from the government, royal family and parliament speaker. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X on Tuesday: “It is a very painful day for all of Sweden. Being locked in a classroom, fearing for your life, is a nightmare that no one should have to experience.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote in an X post: “Such violence and terror have no place in our societies – least of all in schools. In this dark hour, we stand with the people of Sweden.” What happened today in Örebro is truly horrifying. Such violence and terror have no place in our societies—least of all in schools. In this dark hour, we stand with the people of Sweden. Our thoughts are with the victims, and we wish them strength and a swift recovery. https://t.co/Z8XaHDfZBy — Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 4, 2025 16-year-old Linn, a pupil who attends school near the site of the shooting told AFP: “I was standing there, watching what was happening, and I was just around here when I saw some bodies lying on the ground. I don’t know if they were dead or injured.” Liv Demir, 36, whose son attends a school nearby, and also takes gym classes at Campus Risbergska, told AFP: “I became numb, speechless. I didn’t really know where to go.” Advertisement How rare are shootings in Sweden? Shootings in Sweden used to be rare. PM Kristersson told reporters that the attack was “the worst mass shooting in Swedish history”. However, Sweden has seen a rise in shootings and bombings associated with gang violence. There were 296 shootings in Sweden in 2024, which resulted in the deaths of 44 people and injuries to 66 people, police data shows. The record for the highest number of shootings was in 2022 when 391 shootings took place across Sweden. Some 62 people died and 107 were injured during that year. There have also been some recent incidents of violence at schools in Sweden. In March 2022, a student, 18, stabbed and killed two teachers in Sweden’s city of Malmo. In October 2015, a man stabbed a teacher and student to death in a school with a high number of immigrants in the industrial city of Trollhattan. The man, identified by Swedish media as 21-year-old Anton Lundin Pettersson, was reported to have far-right sympathies and was shot dead by police. Adblock test (Why?)

‘That’s who she is’: Noem allies rally she’s ‘definition of South Dakota toughness’ amid wardrobe criticisms

‘That’s who she is’: Noem allies rally she’s ‘definition of South Dakota toughness’ amid wardrobe criticisms

Allies of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem are celebrating her as the “definition of South Dakota toughness” as critics lampoon the Trump administration official for wearing a cowboy hat or protective vest amid her hands-on efforts to secure the southern border and deport illegal immigrants.  “Kristi Noem is the definition of South Dakota toughness and actually ran a working ranch for decades,” Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital Tuesday. “She talks straight, works hard, and gets the job done. Like any great leader, she’s not sitting behind a desk — she’s out there on the front lines, rolling up her sleeves and working alongside the people she leads.”  “You don’t see that much in Washington,” he said.  Noem, who was confirmed as DHS chief on Jan. 25, has been on an immigration and security blitz since then, joining immigration raids on the streets of New York City and taking a horseback tour of the southern border in Texas.  SOCIAL MEDIA ROASTS NOEM OVER UNIQUE STYLE CHOICES As Noem works to help deliver on President Donald Trump‘s campaign vow to lock down the border and clean house of illegal immigrants who flooded the nation under the Biden administration, critics have latched onto criticizing Noem’s wardrobe selection.  She has been accused of wearing “cosplay outfits” or “cosplaying” a cowboy when she donned a cowboy hat during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.  Noem also has been mocked as “ICE Barbie” or “Border Patrol Barbie” for wearing a baseball cap, an apparent bullet-proof vest and makeup while helping conduct the raids in New York City at the end of January.  To those in Noem’s personal and work orbit, however, she has long worn outfits that match the job she has before her — including when she has to get “her hands dirty.” SEC. NOEM SAYS HOMELAND SECURITY WILL FREEZE GRANTS TO NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS “If folks want to nitpick about her wearing the same gear as the people she’s leading — a cowboy hat, work clothes — they don’t understand her, and they sure don’t understand South Dakota,” Johnson said in comment to Fox Digital. “That’s who she is. Always has been.”  “People in New York or D.C. wouldn’t last a day in the real America,” he said. “I told folks she’d be an ass kicker, and that’s exactly what she’s doing.” A source close to Noem, who spoke to Fox News Digital on the background of the secretary’s upbringing, speculated that critics likely “just don’t get her,” while arguing that complaints about men’s wardrobe choices are few and far between.  KRISTI NOEM JOINS IMMIGRATION RAID TO CATCH ‘DIRTBAGS’ IN MAJOR SANCTUARY CITY “Kristi Noem was taught by her father not to complain about a problem, but to go and fix it,” the source said. “She gets her hands dirty when she throws herself into a job and that’s what she’s doing.”  Noem stepped down as South Dakota’s governor following her confirmation to lead DHS and has a history of routinely swapping typical Washington, D.C., fashion, such as pantsuits and heels, for cowboy boots and jeans when outside of her office.  While serving as governor, Noem was repeatedly spotted wearing jeans and more work-styled outfits while on the border. She has participated in the South Dakota Buffalo Roundup and joined state farm fairs.  Noem ​​was the first governor to deploy National Guard troops to border states in 2022 and repeatedly visited southern states such as Texas amid the immigration crisis, which she said created a “warzone.” NOEM SAYS ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ARRESTED IN NYC RAID TARGETING CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Noem grew up on a ranch in South Dakota’s rural Hamlin County and has remained close to her country roots. She came under fire in 2024, when she published a memoir that garnered outrage for defending the killing of a farm dog that attacked other animals.  Noem reflected on her rural lifestyle in her Senate confirmation hearing in January, saying she has “spent my life in rural America” and that she understands “what it means to work hard every day to build a better future for our kids and our communities.” Another Noem ally close to the secretary who spoke to Fox News Digital said that “petty insults” aimed at Noem are actually borne out of opposition to Trump’s immigration policies. “The simple fact is that many of her critics are opposed to President Trump’s mission to keep the nation safe by fighting illegal immigration, and they’ll try to undermine it any way they can — and that includes hurling petty insults at the Secretary of Homeland Security to undermine her and the president,” the source close who Noem said. “It won’t work. She’s sworn to do the job the president gave her of protecting this country, and that’s what she’s going to do.”

Singer, songwriter Joy Villa wears DOGE coin dress to Grammys, supports Trump’s deportation crackdown

Singer, songwriter Joy Villa wears DOGE coin dress to Grammys, supports Trump’s deportation crackdown

Singer and songwriter Joy Villa, well-known for her contentious attire at Grammy Award shows, strutted the red carpet once again on Sunday in a gown that served up a strong message. Villa was spotted at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in a gold dress and necklace dispersed with images of the DOGE Shiba Inu dog meme, a necklace featuring his face and a red hat that read “The hat stays on.” “I was kind of a walking meme,” Villa told Fox News Digital. “Obviously, I’m a MAGA girl and MAGA and crypto are starting to bridge the gap.” JOY VILLA TURNS HEADS WITH PRO-LIFE OUTFIT AT THE GRAMMYS “Cryptocurrency represents freedom,” she added. “We can disengage from the big banks. As artists, we can dictate our own financial independence.” The dress was tailored by atelier dress designer Andre Soriano, who also curated the controversial “Make America Great Again” dress Villa first wore to the 2017 Grammys. “I’ve had people try to snatch my MAGA hats off,” Villa said. Villa said that among the vicious rhetoric she has received since expressing her support for President Donald Trump and his policies eight years ago are threats of sexual assault and death in addition to racial slurs. Despite having experienced vocal and physical backlash, Villa said the hat sends a message of her courage, resilience and vibrancy. ‘MAGA’ DRESS DESIGNER FORCED TO REMOVE TRUMP SIGNS FROM BUSINESS, RESIDENCE WHEN ‘KAREN’ CALLED POLICE “I don’t worship Trump, but I worship Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior, and I know that God gave me a voice to speak in Hollywood as an artist, as an actress, as a musician,” Villa told Fox News Digital. “The red carpet is my battlefield.” A focal point of Villa’s conservative messaging at high-profile events is her religious devotion. “I shared Jesus Christ with every single person I interviewed and none of them posted that,” she said. “America needs to bless God because the fight is not over yet,” she added. “We got to stop aborting babies. We got to put prayer back in schools. Nobody needs to have their religion demonized and, for some reason, you can say every other name at the Grammys or the red carpet awards except for Jesus Christ.” SINGER JOY VILLA MAKES A POLITICAL FASHION STATEMENT AGAINST PLANNED PARENTHOOD While Villa’s remarks about religion were passed over by the media, her message in support of the deportations of illegal immigrants in the U.S. was publicized. “I’m a proud Afro-Latina,” she said. “I know being in the Latina community, being a woman of color, I know how much illegal immigration hurts us, and people won’t talk about that.” Since taking office on Jan. 20, Trump has acted on his promise of mass deportations and cracked down on illegal immigration. This has included ending deportation protection for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans and deporting thousands of illegal immigrants to Mexico. “It is a crime to come here illegally,” Villa said. “I’ve traveled to 39 countries and in every single one of them I had to get the proper documentation and show my ID.” Villa scrutinized actress Selena Gomez for taking to social media recently to cry about President Trump’s swift action removing illegal immigrants. “Girl, sit all the way down,” Villa said. “You are an American citizen and those are not your people.” “Deport everyone who’s coming here illegally,” she said.

Trump calls for ‘nuclear peace agreement’ with Iran rather than blowing country ‘to smithereens’

Trump calls for ‘nuclear peace agreement’ with Iran rather than blowing country ‘to smithereens’

President Donald Trump urged Iran to begin negotiating with the U.S. for a “nuclear peace agreement,” downplaying the possibility of a devastating military strike on the Islamic nation. Trump made the statement on social media Wednesday morning, reaffirming the U.S. position that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon. It comes just one day after Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. “I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon. Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED,” Trump wrote.  “I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper. We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed. God Bless the Middle East!” he added. IRAN ‘TERRIFIED’ OF TRUMP PRESIDENCY AS IRANIAN CURRENCY FALLS TO AN ALL-TIME LOW INTELLIGENCE REPORT SAYS IRAN WILL KEEP TRYING TO KILL TRUMP REGARDLESS OF ELECTION OUTCOME The call for negotiations comes after Trump raised eyebrows Tuesday night by saying the U.S. will “take over” control of the Gaza Strip. “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” Trump stated. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexplored bombs and other weapons on the site.” Netanyahu praised Trump’s ability to “think outside the box” during their joint press conference. Hamas also wrote a statement criticizing Trump’s comments just hours after his meeting with Netanyahu. “We reject Trump’s statements in which he said that the residents of the Gaza Strip have no choice but to leave, and we consider them a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region,” the group said. Hamas has recently reaffirmed control over the Gaza Strip following the start of the ceasefire and has said they will not release hostages without an end to the war and Israeli forces’ full withdrawal.

‘Squad’ Dem Ayanna Pressley trashes Elon Musk, calling him a ‘Nazi nepo baby’

‘Squad’ Dem Ayanna Pressley trashes Elon Musk, calling him a ‘Nazi nepo baby’

“Squad” member Ayanna Pressley blasted business magnate Elon Musk as a “Nazi nepo baby” and “godless, lawless billionaire” during remarks at a rally. She also seemed to take a jab at Tesla’s Cybertruck. “Elon Musk is a Nazi nepo baby, a godless lawless billionaire, who no one elected. Elon, this is the American people. This is not your trashy Cybertruck that you can just dismantle, pick apart, and sell the pieces of,” she declared. DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS SLAM ELON MUSK’S ACCESS TO TREASURY DEPARTMENT: ‘WE ARE AT WAR’ A video shared on the congresswoman’s @RepPressley X account shows her and others chanting, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Elon Musk has got to go.” In a post on the lawmaker’s @AyannaPressley account, Pressley had called Musk “a Nazi nepo baby who breaks everything he touches,” claiming, “Right now he’s locked himself in a room with grandpa’s Social Security check.” Musk backed President Donald Trump during the 2024 election and is now spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort to expose government waste. ELON MUSK DUNKS ON SEN CHUCK SCHUMER, DECLARING ‘HYSTERICAL REACTIONS’ DEMONSTRATE DOGE’S IMPORTANCE “Doge has not looked at, nor is there any interest in, private financial data. What would we even do with it? The outgoing payment review process just looks at potential fraud and wasteful spending to organizations. Corrupt politicians are the ones complaining. I wonder why?” Musk has noted in a post on X. The Treasury Department has noted that “the ongoing review of Treasury’s systems is not resulting in the suspension or rejection of any payment instructions submitted to Treasury by other federal agencies across the government.” SENATOR SENDS MESSAGE TO DEMS UPSET OVER ELON MUSK’S DOGE TEAM: ‘GET USED TO THIS’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Currently, Treasury staff members working with Tom Krause, a Treasury employee, will have read-only access to the coded data of the Fiscal Service’s payment systems in order to continue this operational efficiency assessment,” the department noted.  “Mr. Krause is conducting this effort in coordination with veteran career Treasury officials, and all operational processes continue to be conducted only by career Treasury staff in accordance with all standard security, safety, and privacy standards,” Treasury noted. “In order to allow him to perform this function, he has been hired as an expert/consultant by the federal government and designated in a role commonly used across Administrations—a ‘special government employee’ —pursuant to applicable law.”