One person has died and three others were wounded in a sword-wielding attack at a high school in the town of Fagersta in central Sweden, according to local police. Officers received reports of the incident at Brinell School, also referred to as Brinellskolan, just after 14:00 local time on Friday as students returned from their summer holidays. Police entered the building, shot the assailant, and subsequently took him into custody.
One Dead and Three Wounded in Central Sweden School Sword Attack
Local police chief Tommy Alriksson told journalists that authorities found one person dead after entering the school. Our current assessment of injuries is that there are three wounded people and one deceased,
Alriksson said, noting that two victims sustained serious injuries while a third suffered lighter injuries. Regional healthcare director Jonas Cederberg confirmed that two seriously wounded individuals were admitted to the hospital. The healthcare authority stated that these two victims were boys between the ages of 12 and 17, and although one underwent emergency surgery, both remained in a stable condition.
According to broadcaster SVT, the arrested suspect is an 18-year-old man who can be linked to two addresses in Fagersta and is a former student of the school. Media reports also indicated that the suspect had a previous assault conviction, wore a helmet, and carried a sword during the assault. Police reported that they were working to establish a motive, but confirmed they had no reason to believe there were multiple perpetrators. Authorities were also investigating a TikTok account reportedly belonging to the attacker, which has since been taken down after featuring videos referencing school attacks and a photo of a sword.
Lockdown Measures and Emergency Response
Following the attack, the Fagersta municipality placed Brinell School and several other nearby schools and municipal facilities under lockdown. Facilities affected by the lockdown included Olympen, Fagerstahallen, Risbroskolan, Skogsglantan, Bjorksta, Prastkragen, and Norrbybacken. Students remained inside the locked-down buildings for more than three hours before being let out.
Images broadcast on Swedish television displayed multiple ambulances, police cars, and a police helicopter stationed outside the school premises. Brinell School serves approximately 450 students, with ages ranging from 16 to 20, located in a town of roughly 12,000 residents situated about 170 kilometers northwest of Stockholm.
Nellie Strandberg, a 16-year-old student at the school, recounted encountering the aftermath while heading to the library to prepare for upcoming classes. Then I see a guy who’s bloody all down his back,
she told the newspaper Dagens Nyheter, adding that her friend later mentioned seeing someone with a big knife. Previously, in May, the municipality had announced that students at Brinellskolan were sent home following an unrelated threat directed at the school.
National Leaders React to the Shocking Incident
We do not yet know what lies behind the attack, but we do know that the police are working extremely intensively,
Kristersson said. Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer noted that the government maintained close contact with law enforcement to monitor ongoing developments.
Magdalena Andersson, leader of the opposition Social Democrats, shared her reaction in a post on X, lamenting the terrible news from Fagersta. When violence takes place at a school, I know it impacts everyone in our country. All of Sweden stands with Fagersta in this difficult time,
Andersson wrote.
Context of School Violence in Sweden
The attack in Fagersta follows a series of high-profile violent incidents at educational institutions across Sweden in recent years. In February 2025, the country experienced its worst-ever mass shooting when a 35-year-old man killed 10 people at an adult education center in Orebro, prompting subsequent government crackdowns on gun laws. Prior to that, in March 2022, an 18-year-old student fatally stabbed two teachers at a secondary school in Malmo.
Commentators and media outlets also noted thematic parallels to an October 2015 sword attack in the western town of Trollhattan, where a masked assailant killed three people in a racially motivated attack at a school.
