Sweden to tighten gun laws after 10 die in mass shooting at school

A shooting occurred at a school in Örebro, Sweden, and local police have confirmed the identities of all 10 victims. Concurrently, the Swedish government is seeking to tighten gun control laws to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

The incident took place on Tuesday at the Risbergska adult education center in Örebro. Seven women and three men, aged between 28 and 68, tragically lost their lives in the shooting. This incident is considered the deadliest mass shooting in Sweden to date, prompting a national conversation about gun violence.

The perpetrator is believed to have taken his own life after shooting the 10 victims. Local media have identified him as 35-year-old Rickard Andersson, a Swedish recluse. He was reportedly long-term unemployed and suffered from mental illness, potentially contributing factors to the tragic event.

Police confirmed on Friday local time that they had completed the identification of all the victims but did not release their names. Among the victims were several Christians who had fled persecution in Syria. The Syrian embassy in Stockholm has expressed condolences to the families of two Syrian victims but did not provide further details. The Bosnian Foreign Ministry, citing information from residents of Örebro, stated that one citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina was killed and another injured.

In the shooting, the perpetrator apparently used multiple rifles that he legally owned. The government of Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has reached an agreement with its far-right supporters in parliament to strengthen the vetting process for gun license applicants and ban certain semi-automatic weapons. The government said on Friday that it wants to ban the AR-15 assault rifle, a military-designed assault rifle that has been used in several mass shootings in the United States.

Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer told Reuters: "Given the terrible shooting in Örebro earlier this week, we think the right balance is to withdraw the relevant regulations and ban such weapons." He stated that it was not yet clear what kind of guns were used in the Örebro attack, but banning AR-15 weapons would be a "precautionary measure." He also added: "We know that this weapon can become very dangerous after some modifications and has also been used in shootings in other countries." Since 2023, AR-15 rifles have been allowed for hunting, and Strömmer said that about 3,500 have been licensed since then.

Police have not explicitly stated what weapons were used in the attack, only that three rifles registered in the suspect's name were found near his body. Local media reported that he held a hunting license. School shootings are very rare in Sweden, a Scandinavian country of 10.5 million people, but this attack has raised questions about whether school security in Sweden needs to be strengthened.

Unlike many other countries, schools in Sweden are generally regarded as semi-public spaces, with little control over who enters and exits. Strömmer said on Friday that the government is considering expediting legislation already under consideration in parliament that would make it easier for schools to install surveillance cameras. Gun ownership in Sweden is high by European standards but far lower than in the United States.

Most weapons are legally held for hunting, but a wave of gang crime has highlighted the high incidence of illegal handguns. Data from the Swiss research institute "Small Arms Survey" in 2017 showed that Swedish civilians owned about 2.3 million firearms, equivalent to 23 guns per 100 people, compared with 120 in the United States and 4.6 in the United Kingdom.

The investigation into the attack is still ongoing, and a clear motive has not yet been determined. There are reports that the gunman may have had some connection to the school.