A sword-wielding 18-year-old man attacked students at a high school in central Sweden on Friday, killing one person and injuring three others before being subdued by police gunfire.

An 18-year-old man carried out a sword attack at Brinell high school in Fagersta, a town of approximately 13,000 residents in central Sweden, on Friday afternoon. The assault resulted in one death and left three others wounded. Police responded swiftly to the scene and shot the suspect, taking him into custody on suspicion of murder. Local police chief Tommy Alriksson confirmed that officers entered the school quickly and subdued the perpetrator through gunfire.

According to reporting from public broadcaster SVT, the attacker was a former student at the school who wore a helmet during the assault and had a prior conviction for assault. Two of the three injured victims were teenage boys with severe injuries, while a third person was later released from hospital. The school, which serves 450 students aged 16 to 20, had only recently reopened following the summer break, with some students experiencing their first day of the academic year.

Students described the chaos that unfolded during the attack. One pupil named Nellie told Reuters she initially saw a person covered in blood before police flooded into the building. Another student, Abdulrahem Salmo, witnessed a victim with a bloody stab wound and said students fled in fear after calling authorities. The lockdown lasted approximately five hours, and several other schools and public buildings in Fagersta were also secured as a precaution.

Investigators are examining a TikTok account that posted an image of a sword approximately 20 minutes before the attack, according to Swedish media reports. The photograph appeared to have been taken inside a school restroom. The month-old account, which has since been removed, contained videos referencing previous mass violence incidents in Sweden and Norway, including references to Anders Behring Breivik.

Swedish leadership responded to the tragedy with concern and solidarity. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson cancelled a scheduled speech and posted condolences on social media. King Carl XVI Gustaf expressed dismay and sadness in a statement released by the royal household.