Swedish police stated on 22/8 that an 18-year-old suspect had entered Brinell high school in Fagersta town the previous day. The young man was dressed in black, wearing a helmet, had his face covered, and carried a long sword, which he used to attack students.

Responding to reports of the attack, armed police were deployed to the school and fired shots towards the suspect. He was apprehended approximately 10 minutes later.

Police confirmed that one 17-year-old female student died and three people were injured in the attack. Among the injured were two male students, aged 12 and 17, who sustained severe wounds.

Local police chief Tommy Alriksson stated that investigators are working to determine the motive behind this latest act of violence, which has deeply shaken Sweden. The identities of the suspect and victims have not been released.

Alriksson added that police plan to interview nearly all school staff and students, approximately 450 individuals. Authorities have also searched two Fagersta locations connected to the attacker.

Police and rescue forces outside Brinell high school in Fagersta town on 22/8. Photo: AFP

Dagens Nyheter newspaper reported that a TikTok account posted a photo of a sword, apparently taken in the school restroom, about 20 minutes before the attack. Investigators are verifying if the account belonged to the suspect.

Before it was locked, the account had posted videos referencing two significant acts of violence in Sweden. These included a 2015 attack in Trollhattan, where a masked assailant, wielding a sword, killed an assistant teacher and two male students before being shot by police.

A police source indicated that authorities are investigating whether the suspect participated in online communities promoting violence. "Investigators are considering the possibility that online groups incited the suspect to carry out the attack," the source stated.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (left) and opposition leader Magdalena Andersson (right) lay flowers in remembrance in Fagersta town on 22/8. Photo: Reuters

Nellie Strandberg, a 16-year-old Brinell student, recounted encountering the attacker while on her way to the library. "We were about to grab a few items when we saw a man covered in blood," Strandberg said.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, accompanied by opposition leader Magdalena Andersson, visited Fagersta to offer condolences to the victims' families and check on the injured. "What should never have happened has recurred," Kristersson stated.

Sweden has experienced numerous attacks at educational institutions. In 2/2025, a 35-year-old gunman killed 10 people at an education center in Orebro before taking his own life. In 3/2022, an 18-year-old male student fatally stabbed two teachers at a high school in Malmo.

Nguyen Tien (According to AFP, Guardian, Reuters)