Several people injured in sword attack at Swedish high school

Brinellskolan School Attack

A person armed with a sword has injured several people in an attack at Brinellskolan school in central Sweden, according to authorities. The suspect has been detained by police.

The attack occurred on Friday, with the Fagersta municipality stating that "an assailant armed with a sword has entered Brinellskolan and wounded several people." Swedish police confirmed that they received a call regarding "ongoing deadly violence" at the school and that one person had been taken into custody.

Police spokesman Pelle Vamstad said an alarm was received early on Friday afternoon, and police rushed to the scene. The school, which has around 450 students aged 16 to 20, was searched by police, and other schools in the area were locked down.

Ambulances, police cars, and a police helicopter were outside the school in the small city of Fagersta, which has a population of around 12,000 people. The public was urged to respect roadblocks and listen to police instructions.

Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said the government was closely following the situation and that "the police are on site and are working very intensively on the incident." Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the attack as a "serious incident" and said that "a serious incident has occurred today in Fagersta at a school, right after the summer break. We do not yet know what lies behind the act, but we know that the police are working very intensively."

There are reports that the suspect was shot in the leg by police, but this has not been confirmed. Aftonbladet newspaper reported that a person wielding a machete had been shot in the leg by police.

The attack is the latest in a series of incidents at educational institutions in Sweden. In February 2025, a 35-year-old man killed 10 people at an adult education centre in Orebro, and in March 2022, an 18-year-old student fatally stabbed two teachers at a secondary school in Malmo. In October 2015, three people were killed in a racially motivated attack at a school in Trollhattan by a sword-wielding assailant who was killed by police.

The Fagersta municipality said it would hold a press conference to provide further details about the attack. Several schools and facilities in Fagersta were placed under lockdown following the incident.

Official Response

Swedish authorities have responded quickly to the attack, with police and emergency services rushing to the scene. The government has said that it is closely following the situation and that the police are working "very intensively" to investigate.

Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said that "the police are on site and are working very intensively on the incident. The government is in close contact with the police and is monitoring developments on an ongoing basis."

Investigation

The police are continuing to work at the scene, and the government is monitoring developments on an ongoing basis. The investigation is ongoing, and it is not clear what motivated the attack.

Pelle Vamstad, a police press officer, said that "we have an ongoing operation in the area and that is all we can say at the moment." The police are urging the public to respect roadblocks and listen to police instructions.