Attack and Immediate Response

On Friday afternoon, a man armed with a sword entered Brinellskolan, a secondary school in Fagersta, central Sweden, and attacked students during classes. Police were called to the school at around 2 p.m. local time after receiving a report of "ongoing deadly violence," as stated in a police statement. The Fagersta municipality confirmed that "an assailant armed with a sword has entered Brinellskolan and wounded several people," adding that the suspect had been detained.

The attack left a 17-year-old girl dead and three others injured, including two boys aged 12 and 17 who were seriously wounded. A third person, also under 18, sustained less serious injuries and was discharged from hospital, according to Swedish news agency TT. Police confirmed the death of the girl, saying: "The person killed in this incident is a young 17-year-old female. Her family has been informed."

The suspect, an 18-year-old man, was arrested at the scene. Police Chief Tommy Alriksson said at a news conference that there was no reason to believe there were multiple perpetrators. Shots were fired during the arrest, but the suspect was not hit. National police carried out two house searches and expect to interview many witnesses, Alriksson said, adding, "That's why we can't give out too much information, because we don't want to influence witnesses."

Several other schools and public buildings in Fagersta were locked down following the attack, but the lockdown was later lifted. The Vastmanland region declared a high alert, but police later said there was no longer any danger to the public.

The Victim and Injuries

The victim was identified by police as a 17-year-old girl. Her parents confirmed the death to the local newspaper Fagersta-Posten. The Brinell School's principal told local media P4 Västmanland that the attacker was a student at the school, though other reports have described him as a former student. The two seriously injured boys were aged 12 and 17, with one requiring emergency surgery.

Investigation and Possible Online Links

The investigation is being treated as murder and attempted murder. Police are investigating whether the suspect, who had previously been arrested and convicted for assault, was involved in online communities promoting school violence. A police source told the Reuters news agency that investigators are looking into "various online communities which might have egged on the suspect" to carry out the attack.

As part of the investigation, police are examining a TikTok account that posted an image of a sword 20 minutes before the attack. The image appeared to have been taken in a restroom at the school, according to the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter. Before the account was taken down, it contained videos referencing two episodes of mass violence in Sweden and the far-right mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik, including a 2015 attack where a masked swordsman killed a teaching assistant and two boys at a school in Trollhättan.

Police have conducted about 80 interviews so far and plan to question nearly all of the school's 450 staff and students.

Political Reaction and Memorials

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called the attack a "serious incident" and said on social media that "our thoughts are with all those affected." He and opposition leader Magdalena Andersson travelled to Fagersta to pay their respects. Christiana Kristersson said: "What should never happen has happened again." At the school, a memorial of candles and flowers took shape, and political parties suspended their campaigning for the September 13 general election.

Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said the government was in close contact with the police following the attack.

A History of School Attacks in Sweden

The attack is the latest in a string of violent incidents at Swedish educational institutions. In February 2025, a gunman killed 10 people at an adult education centre in Orebro, in the country's worst mass shooting. That led the government to tighten gun laws, after the suspect had legally owned four rifles. In 2015, a sword-wielding assailant killed a teaching assistant and two boys at a school in Trollh, and in 2022, two teachers were fatally injured in a high school attack in Malmo.