Student saw sword-wielding man and fled: 'We ran immediately'

Students at Brinellskolan in Fagersta described fleeing in terror after seeing a man armed with a sword on Friday afternoon. One girl died and three boys were seriously injured in the attack, which has left the community in shock.

"When we realized how crazy it was, we started running, we fled directly out of the school," said one student, who is in their second year of the economics program and a friend of those seriously injured. The student recounted how a friend who remained inside during the lockdown saw a guitar case in a restroom while hiding, prompting him to immediately change hiding spots and find a teacher.

"It's a bit scary," the student added when asked about the incident happening at their school. "We have access cards, but he could still go in. But it hasn't felt unsafe before."

School officials confirmed that the suspected perpetrator is a student at Brinellskolan and possessed a key tag for the school. This follows a previous incident in May where the school was temporarily closed due to a threat scrawled on a restroom wall, warning of a school shooting. However, municipal council chair Åsa-Märta Sjöström stated that there is no connection between the May threat and Friday's attack.

Flowers and candles now form a memorial outside the school, with students, families, and former students gathering in quiet remembrance. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson visited the memorial site on Saturday. Police conducted searches at two addresses linked to the suspect. A neighbor described the suspect as a young man they would greet, calling the incident "tragic, absolutely terrible, such a young guy. It was shocking, something has gone wrong."