Ismail Moradi, a 16-year-old student, would typically be carrying his textbooks to school. However, on Wednesday, he held a bouquet of red flowers to honor the victims of Sweden’s deadliest mass shooting.
“I was shocked and unsure if I even wanted to come to school today after what happened so close by,” he told reporters.
Ismail’s elementary school is adjacent to the adult learning center that was targeted in the attack.
Although authorities have yet to disclose a motive, Ismail, who is Kurdish, fears that the shooting had a racial component.
“This school is mainly for newcomers to Sweden. There aren’t many Swedish people here. So, I think it was targeted at a specific group.”
Swedish police are continuing to investigate the shooter’s background but have not confirmed whether the attack, which resulted in 11 deaths, was directed at any particular community.
Hellen Werme, a 35-year-old trainee nurse, survived the attack. She and her classmates barricaded themselves inside their classroom as the gunman roamed the halls.
“We could hear him firing,” she recounted. “I just felt that at any moment I would be shot and never see my children again.”
We met her outside the college, where throughout the day, locals gathered to light candles and gaze toward the still-sealed school site.
The vacant expressions on their faces, coupled with the biting wind, mirrored the shock that has gripped Sweden in the past 24 hours.
Deadly Shooting in SwedenA solemn hush fell over the area when Sweden’s King arrived to place his own floral tribute, reflecting the national mourning as flags flew at half-mast.
The grief is compounded by the absence of an explanation for the attack. With a massive investigation underway, police have released little information.
Complicating their efforts is the fact that the gunman was a “clean skin”—someone with no prior record in police or security databases.
However, given the scale of the tragedy, both the public and politicians are demanding swift answers from authorities.
More than 100 specialist officers from local, regional, and national units are now involved in the probe.
Unconfirmed Swedish media reports identify the gunman as a 35-year-old local man who legally owned a firearm.
Reham Attala, a 21-year-old law student, believes the choice of this particular college—known for its popularity among immigrants—was not random, especially given that other institutions reportedly closer to the suspect’s home were left untouched.
“I’m so sad and scared,” she said at the scene of the attack. “This shouldn’t have happened.”
Reham, whose father is Syrian and mother is Palestinian, considers Sweden her home, having lived in Orebro for 11 years.
She is especially disturbed that the attack targeted a school offering Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) courses.
“The people who died yesterday were studying Swedish, and it makes me think about my own future—should I even stay here? Should I have children here? All these questions are now on my mind.”
People should be able to learn and live in peace on campus without fear of violence, she sighed.