Some of you following this blog will probably already have heard through your national media about a very tragic event that took place in the city of Örebro in Sweden this week (Tuesday 4 February): A school shooting in which eleven people were killed - including the perpetrator - and six more physically injured. It is said to be the deadliest mass shooting in (modern) Swedish history, and has of course been dominating the news here all week.
The shooter has been identified as a 35-year-old Swedish man, whose motives for the attack are still under investigation. He is believed to have acted alone, and then also killed himself.
The school is an adult education centre. I think it was not until yesterday that all the victims were officially identified. They were all from Örebro (or around there). Those killed were seven women between 32 and 68 years old, and three men between 28-48 years old. Yesterday, five people were also still in hospital, and two of those still in intensive care. (I have not heard the latest update.)
Of course the whole city of Örebro is in shock - as usual, the closer to home something takes place, the more one "feels" it... Knowing exactly where it happened, knowing the victims or witnesses, or their families and friends etc. Or, until the victims are identified, wondering if one perhaps knows them...
For my own part (as far as I know), I don't personally know anyone directly affected; so I'm "just" one of all those who wonder what makes someone do something like that, and what can be done to prevent something similar to happen again - etc, etc. (Stricter regulations on firearms will most likely be one result, already proposed by the government.)
My main sources in English for details in this post:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Risbergska_school_shooting
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3lpp9we4jo
The image at the top was cut from a photo in the BBC article. People have kept leaving flowers and candles outside the place where it happened, all week.
Truly shocking. One wonders, why?
ReplyDeleteIt's senseless and impossible to understand. Those directly affected will suffer greatly.
ReplyDeleteI was so sad when I heard about this event on our news. And with all the school shootings that have happened here in America, it just boggles my mind, and leaves me with such sadness and utter dismay. I've been active in wanting stricter gun control laws for decades. There is a large political movement against that, from people who think their rights to have a gun to protect themselves will be removed. But these children didn't have a thing to do with them. I'm so sorry.
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