On February 6th, 2025, a 35-year-old Swedish man named Rickard Andersson opened fire at the Risbergska Educational Center in Orebro, Sweden. As students (many of whom were adult migrants enrolled in Swedish language-learning classes) ducked underneath desks and chairs, the shooter went on a violent rampage through the campus, resulting in 11 deaths including his own. Six more were wounded due to smoke inhalation. Authorities immediately sent armed police vehicles and officers to the scene, charging into the school to subdue the suspect and quell any further violent acts. Investigators were able to trace four firearm licenses to the suspect, who was found with three weapons including rifles and ammunition. The suspect has no prior convictions and has no reputation for crime in the area. His motives are still unclear. Much photographic and videographic evidence of this incident is circulating online, and the footage is truly heartbreaking.
In Sweden, this incident came as a complete shock. In the last decade, there had only been two attacks on schools, neither of which had been carried out with a gun. The country has been known for low crime rates and a high HDI throughout its history, but gun violence has been steadily increasing in recent years. There are strict guidelines for obtaining firearms in Sweden, and especially after this incident, the country has solidified that it will implement measures to make sure guns do not get into the wrong hands. The Minister of Education, Johan Pehrson, has detailed the introduction of a plan that will keep unauthorized individuals outside of school buildings.
While no official motive for the shooting has been named, the people who were killed were all of foreign backgrounds, which has sparked discontent, especially among Sweden’s immigrant population. In the coming months, this may have effects on immigration rates in and out of Sweden, and it will certainly be beneficial for the country to publicize its efforts towards stricter gun control and eliminating such targeted attacks.
