Police detain suspect after attack at Brinellskolan in Fagersta as authorities lock down nearby schools and search the premises

FAGERSTA: A sword-wielding attacker wounded several people at a high school in central Sweden on Friday, prompting a major emergency response and lockdowns at educational institutions across the surrounding area.

Fagersta municipality confirmed that an armed assailant entered Brinellskolan and attacked several people before police detained the suspect.

“An assailant armed with a sword has entered Brinellskolan and wounded several people,” the municipality said in a statement.

Authorities did not immediately disclose the exact number of casualties or provide details about the victims’ conditions.

Police Reportedly Shoot Suspect During Response

Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that police shot a person armed with a machete in the leg during the incident. However, authorities had not immediately confirmed details surrounding the reported shooting.

Meanwhile, police officers continued searching Brinellskolan after securing the suspect. Officials also locked down other schools in the area as a precaution.

Public broadcaster SVT reported that emergency services deployed ambulances, police vehicles and a helicopter outside the school in Fagersta, a city with approximately 12,000 residents.

Authorities have not yet announced a possible motive for the attack.

Sweden Has Faced Previous School Attacks

Friday’s incident follows several high-profile attacks at Swedish educational institutions in recent years.

In February 2025, a 35-year-old gunman killed 10 people at an adult education centre in Orebro in Sweden’s deadliest mass shooting. Police later linked the attack to the gunman’s personal circumstances.

Previously, an 18-year-old student fatally stabbed two teachers at a secondary school in Malmo in March 2022.

Moreover, in October 2015, a sword-wielding attacker killed three people during a racially motivated assault at a school in Trollhattan. Police subsequently shot and killed the assailant.

Swedish authorities are continuing their investigation into Friday’s attack and are expected to release further information about the victims, suspect and possible motive.