Footage has emerged of the terrifying moment Swedish students were sent scrambling for their lives as a gunman opened fire at a school in the city of Örebro this afternoon.
At least five people were shot at Risbergska School in Örebro's Västhaga district, with the shooter believed to have turned the gun on himself - though police are yet to confirm this.
Some Swedish outlets and national broadcaster SVT initially reported there were multiple fatalities, but others claimed all five gunshot victims were wounded but had not been killed.
Authorities have thus far refused to confirm the victims' identities, but police said the gunman is among those in hospital.
A clip shared on
Snapchat by one horrified student shows a crowd sprinting away from the location of the shots.
'There's a shooting, oh my God!' one student is heard screaming as the shots ring out. Another video circulating social media showed armed police brandishing their weapons as they surrounded the school.
A body can be seen lying immobile on the pavement just outside one building. It is unclear whether this was the shooter or a victim.
Meanwhile, an image taken inside the school and published by Swedish press showed students cowering in their classrooms, barricading the doors with chairs and desks as alarms blared.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said: 'It is a very painful day for all of
Sweden. My thoughts are also with all those whose normal school day was exchanged for terror. Being confined to a classroom with fear for your own life is a nightmare that no one should have to experience.'
Shots were reported at Risbergska School, an adult education establishment in Örebro's Västhaga district, shortly after 12:30pm local time.
The violence broke out after many students had gone home following a national exam.
Police vehicles and ambulances blanketed the car parks and streets around the school as a helicopter buzzed overhead in shocking scenes broadcast on Swedish television.
Lena Warenmark, a teacher at Risbergska, told SVT: 'We heard gunshots very close to our study. There were probably ten shots.'
Dozens of police cars and ambulances descended on Västhaga as police locked down the school, establishing a perimeter around the building. Armed officers were seen approaching the school with weapons drawn.
Witness Magnus Håkansson told Expressen: 'I heard bangs and then I came out quite early after that. The police ordered me to lie down at the scene. I saw a lot of blood.'
Sweden shooting horror leaves 'several dead'
