A 17-year-old girl was killed and three other people were wounded when an 18-year-old man allegedly attacked students with a sword during classes at Brinell high school in Fagersta, central Sweden, police confirmed.
Two of the wounded were boys aged 12 and 17 and suffered minor injuries. The third person, also under 18, was discharged from hospital, according to Swedish news agency TT. The 18-year-old suspect was arrested and prosecutors ordered his detention on suspicion of murder and several counts of attempted murder.
What police are investigating
Police are examining whether the suspect was involved in online communities promoting school violence. Detectives are also investigating whether a TikTok account that posted a picture of a sword about 20 minutes before the attack belonged to him.
The image appeared to have been taken in a school restroom, according to Dagens Nyheter. Before the month-old account was removed, it contained videos referring to two episodes of mass violence in Sweden and to Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011.
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How the arrest was clarified
Swedish police later clarified that the suspect was not shot during his arrest. A police spokesperson told Aftonbladet that service weapons were used, but the suspect was not injured and did not need medical attention.
The attack took place on Friday afternoon while classes were under way. The 17-year-old victim’s parents told Fagersta-Posten that their daughter had been killed.
Political response and wider context
Several party leaders cancelled planned speeches on Saturday, pausing campaigning ahead of Sweden’s 13 September general election. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and opposition leader Magdalena Andersson travelled to Fagersta to offer condolences to the victim’s family and visit those injured.
More context: Two police officers among seven killed in UK head-on crash.
Sweden’s worst mass shooting occurred in February 2025 at a school in Örebro, where a gunman killed 10 people before killing himself. Police are investigating whether online material encouraged the Fagersta attack; no conclusion on that question has been announced.
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