Martial arts coaches on 18-year-old suspect: "He didn't stand out"

Former martial arts coaches have described the 18-year-old man now detained in connection with the Fagersta school attack as a shy and quiet individual who did not exhibit any unusual behavior during his time at their club.

The suspect trained at a martial arts club in northern Sweden for a total of three years. He first joined as an eight-year-old, participating in the children's group for about a year and a half before leaving. He later returned as a member in his early teens. The coaches, who spoke anonymously to protect their operations and current members, noted that he was like any other child initially and, as a teenager, was reserved and unobtrusive.

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I have difficulty seeing that he could have done something like this.

"I have difficulty seeing that he could have done something like this," one coach told Dagens Nyheter. "It's something I never thought would happen. It's all very difficult to take in." They recalled his father occasionally attending training sessions, appearing enthusiastic about his son's participation, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

During his sporadic training, which occurred two to three times a week at most, the suspect was a beginner. He did not progress significantly during his time at the club but did participate in some junior matches. He stopped attending about three years ago, and the coaches had no further contact with him until the news of the attack broke. The man is suspected of murdering a 17-year-old girl and injuring three others at the Brinellskolan school, where he was a student. He has a prior conviction for assault and was previously taken into care due to significant deficiencies in his home environment.

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It's something I never thought would happen. It's all very difficult to take in.