At Least 10 Dead in Sweden’s ‘Worst Mass Shooting,’ Leader Says

A shooting at an adult education campus in central Sweden on Tuesday left at least 10 people dead and injured an undisclosed number of others, in what the prime minister called the worst mass shooting in the country’s history.

The suspect was among the dead, the country’s justice minister, Gunnar Strommer, said. But the authorities released few other details, including the person’s identity and a possible motive.

“We do not think there is any terror motive behind this, but it is too early in the investigation to say,” Roberto Eid Forest, the head of the local police, said on Tuesday evening. “We think we have the perpetrator,” he added, “but we are not ruling out anything.”

The shooting occurred in Orebro, a city about 120 miles west of the capital, Stockholm. It came as Sweden, which used to be associated with high living standards, equality and welcoming asylum policies, has been grappling with a steadily swelling epidemic of gun violence and one of the highest per capita rates of gun violence in the European Union, police statistics show.

The gunfire erupted about 12:30 p.m. local time at the Risbergska educational center, which caters to about 2,000 students and offers classes for adults studying for a high school diploma, along with Swedish-language classes and vocational classes, according to a website run by the Orebro municipality .

Cellphone footage broadcast on local TV stations showed students cowering under desks and chairs, and others running from the building to emergency service vehicles. The authorities said late Tuesday that the number of people injured was still unclear.