Evaluation after Risbergska: More practice needed

Swedish society's handling of the mass shooting at Campus Risbergska in February last year was effective in several areas, according to a new evaluation by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB). The incident, which resulted in ten deaths and six injuries before the perpetrator took his own life, is described as the worst mass shooting in Swedish history.

While the police's swift response and the school's prior evacuation drills likely saved lives, the report highlights a need for improved collaboration among the various involved agencies. Specifically, the MSB recommends that emergency services conduct more joint exercises to better manage situations involving ongoing lethal violence.

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We see partly the same things that emerged in the other evaluations.

"We see partly the same things that emerged in the other evaluations," said Håkan Lenhoff, an evaluator at MSB. He stressed that increased joint training is necessary to enhance the capability for rapid care of the injured.

The evaluation also suggests that the government should appoint a single agency to hold overall responsibility for security in public spaces, a role that is currently lacking. Furthermore, the report calls for a clearer distribution of responsibilities in post-incident crisis management to ensure individuals in need of support are directed appropriately and promptly. Both the region and the municipality have responsibilities for crisis support, and the report notes that defining these boundaries has been an issue in other incidents as well.

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It is already done but we want it to be done to a greater extent.