Sword attack at Swedish school injures three, suspect detained

A man armed with a sword attacked Brinell School in Fagersta, central Sweden, on Friday afternoon, injuring at least three people in an incident that prompted a large emergency response and regional lockdowns.

Police received an alarm at 14:06 local time regarding suspected deadly violence at the school, which serves approximately 450 students aged 16 to 20. Officers arrived and detained one person at the scene. According to Jonas Cederberg, healthcare director in Vastmanland County, two teenagers were seriously wounded in the attack, while a third person was also injured with the extent of their injuries unconfirmed.

One student who witnessed the attack described the sequence of events to Swedish broadcaster SVT. "The aggressor came up behind one of our classmates and hit him in the arm, which was covered in blood. Then someone called the police and everyone started running because we were afraid," said Abdulrahem Salmo.

Swedish media reported that police shot the suspect in the leg during the incident. The suspect was subsequently taken into custody. According to local reporting, the individual is an 18-year-old former student with previous assault convictions and a history of mental health issues, though police have not publicly confirmed these details. The motivation for the attack has not been clarified.

Students remained inside the school initially before being allowed to leave after many parents were unable to reach their children by phone. Eight other schools in the surrounding area were placed under lockdown measures following the attack, which have since been lifted. A state of high alert was declared in the Vastmanland region.

Emergency services including ambulances, police cars, and a police helicopter responded to the scene. Police confirmed that one person had been taken into custody and stated there was no longer any danger to the public. A planned police press conference initially scheduled for 17:00 local time was postponed due to ongoing rescue operations.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the attack as a "serious incident" in a post on social media. Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said the government was in close contact with police and monitoring developments.