Sweden shooting: What do we know about the suspect?

On Tuesday afternoon, the gunman behind Sweden’s worst-ever mass shooting paced up and down through the corridors of Risbergska adult educational centre.

His steps could be heard outside the classroom of Hellen Werme, a 35-year-old nursing student.

“We heard three shots, one after the another, and panicked. My teacher shouted: ‘shut the doors, lock them and hide,'” she tells Sweden’s TV4 News.

Police have revealed few details about the suspected killer, who was among eleven people who died in the attack in the central Swedish city of Orebro.

But local media paint a picture of a recluse who lived locally and legally owned a weapon.

Here’s what we know so far.

The suspect was unknown to police and they believe he acted alone.

Officers said he had no links to gangs and is thought to have acted “without any ideological motive”.

They also do not believe the attack was motivated by terrorism.

“It’s a changing situation. The information we gave earlier is still valid, but may change later,” said local police chief Roberto Eid Forest.

When officers attended the scene they were “shot at”, he added, but none were injured.

Police then found the suspect dead – and Mr Forest said it appeared he had killed himself.

In an interview with the Aftonbladet tabloid, a relative of the suspect says he had not had much contact with family in recent years and was unemployed.

“As a child he was different but lively. He did well at school. But recent years were tough for him.”

Another relative says the man, who allegedly changed his surname eight years ago, was a “recluse” and may have had mental health problems.

“Before, he had a friend he spent he spent a lot of time with, but not now. He wants to be on his own. He doesn’t seem to like people much.”

Hours after the attack, heavily armed officers raided a flat in Orebro believed to be registered to the man, using drones and a ladder truck, according to Swedish Radio.

The broadcaster found he had no convictions to his name and had declared no income over the past few years.

According to Swedish Radio, the ongoing police investigation lists an automatic firearm as the weapon used.

Swedish Television (SVT) suggests it was a hunting weapon owned legally by the suspect.

During Wednesday’s press conference, Mr Forest was unable to confirm any details about the weapons or say whether one or more was used.

Police said 11 people had died, including the suspected gunman.

Health authorities said three women and two men were in stable yet critical condition after operations for gunshot wounds. Another woman was receiving care for minor injuries.

As of Wednesday morning, not all victims had been identified.

Police said they were using fingerprints, dental records and DNA to identify them – alongside interviews with family members.

The school it happened at provided municipal adult education, which Sweden’s national agency for education explains is for people aged over 20 who did not finish primary or secondary school.

Teacher Ms Warenmark said there were unusually few students at the school on the day as many had gone home for the day after sitting a national exam.

The local municipality offered support at the Hagakyrkan church, while the Orebro mosque kept its doors open on Tuesday evening to provide support for community members.

Police first received reports of a shooting taking place in Orebro, a city 200km (124 miles) west of Stockholm, at 12:33 local time (11:33 GMT) on Tuesday.

The shooting was at Campus Risbergska – a type of school for adults known as Komvux in Swedish, which is primarily for people who did not finish primary or secondary education. There are other schools also on the campus.

Teachers have described hearing shots ring out, leading to them fleeing classrooms or barricading themselves inside.

Maria Pegado told Reuters she took all of her 15 students out into the hallway and they started running. “I saw people dragging injured out, first one, then another. I realised it was very serious,” she said.

Another teacher, Lena Warenmark, told public broadcaster SVT she was in her study when she heard gunshots: “There were a few shots first in short succession, a short pause and then a few more”.

Police locked down six schools and a restaurant in the area, and people were told to stay away or stay inside their homes.

Footage on social media also appeared to show students hiding under desks.

A video filmed from a balcony also appeared to show the sound of shots fired in quick succession, as people rushed away:

In the first few hours after the attack, there was confusion over the number of people hurt.

Despite media reports of fatalities, when the police first gave an official briefing at 15:30 local time, they said only that five people had been injured.

Swedish media continued to report that several people had died, before police confirmed in an update at 18:00 local time that “around ten” had died.

Later that night, this was revised up to 11 dead, including the shooter.

The reason it took so long to give a death toll was due to the size of the school premises, according to local police chief Mr Forest.

Very rare. While there have been school shootings in Sweden before, they have not been of this magnitude.

It is “the worst mass shooting in Sweden’s history” said Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, as he urged people not to speculate about the motive.

Last September, there was a school shooting south of Stockholm, when a 15-year-old is suspected to have wounded a classmate – although that attack was linked to Sweden’s problem of gang violence.

with additional reporting by Francesca Gillett.