'17-year-old girl killed' in sword attack at Swedish school

Saturday, 22 August 2026 17:02

A 17-year-old girl was killed when a teenager armed with a sword attacked students at a school in Sweden, reports say.

Three other people were wounded in Friday's deadly assault, including two boys aged 12 and 17 who were seriously injured.

The third person, who was also under 18, was slightly injured and has been discharged from hospital, Swedish news agency TT reported.

An 18-year-old man has been arrested over the incident at Brinell high school in Fagersta.

The attack, which happened just after lunch as classes were taking place, is being investigated by police as murder and attempted murder.

The parents of a 17-year-old girl told local newspaper Fagersta-Posten their daughter was killed in the attack northwest of the capital Stockholm.

And the headteacher told local media P4 Vastmanland that the attacker was a student at the school.

Police said they fired shots but the assailant was not hit.

"Service weapons were used but the perpetrator has not been injured in connection with the arrest, and has not been in need of medical attention," a police spokesperson told the Aftonbladet daily.

While it is unclear what the motive was for the attack, investigators have carried out two house searches in connection with the suspect.

Reuters, citing a police source, reported officers were investigating if he was involved in online communities promoting school violence.

"The investigators are looking into various online communities which might have egged on the suspect to carry ‌out the attack," the source was quoted as saying.

On Saturday morning, about 70 people gathered at a memorial site, carrying flowers and lighting candles, TT reported.

Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who visited the scene along with opposition leader Magdalena Andersson, has expressed solidarity with the affected families and those impacted by previous school attacks in the country.

"What must never happen has happened again," Mr Kristersson said.

"Our thoughts go first and foremost to the families who have been incredibly hard hit by this," he added.

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Political parties suspended campaign events on Saturday, ahead of the country's parliamentary election due in September.

The attack comes a year after a school shooting in Orebro, also in central Sweden, when a gunman killed 10 ⁠people before turning the weapon on himself, in the worst mass shooting in Swedish history.

Sky News