Sword attacker ‘in Star Wars mask’ kills pupil and teacher in school rampage

A masked man wielding a sword killed a teacher and a boy in an attack on a school in Sweden before being shot by police. The suspect, who was thought to be 21, was said to be in a serious condition in hospital after his rampage in the school canteen. He was said to have been carrying "at least one knife-like object" during the attack in Trollhattan. His assault left the pupils, aged 11 and 15, with severe cuts. One of the boys died later in hospital while a second teacher was also in a serious condition.

I saw the murderer, he was wearing a mask and had a sword. Our teacher got stabbed. The murderer started chasing me, I ran into another classroom. If I had not run, I would have been murdered.

Student survivor

The attack happened at the Kronan school in Trollhattan, an industrial town of about 50,000 people north of Gothenburg. The school has 400 students, ranging from pre-school to high school. Staff held a meeting hours before the attack to discuss worries that the premises were too open, as students have to go through a public cafeteria to reach the school’s own canteen and other parts of the building. Pupils said they thought it was a Halloween prank when the killer first appeared, wearing what was believed to be a Star Wars mask. One said: “He had a mask and black clothes and a long sword. There were students who wanted to go with him and hold the sword." One ambulance crashed into the school wall as it arrived at the scene.

This is a dark day for Sweden. I am thinking of the victims and their families, pupils and staff, and the whole affected community. Words cannot describe what they are going through right at the moment

Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfven

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