Sweden Launches Investigation into Online Radicalization After Deadly School Sword Attack

Swedish police are investigating whether an 18-year-old man who attacked students at a high school with a sword on Friday, killing one person and severely injuring two others, was connected to online communities that promote school violence, according to a police source.

The incident occurred at a school in the central Swedish town of Fagersta, where the suspect allegedly struck multiple students before being apprehended by authorities. Local reports confirmed that a 17-year-old girl died from her injuries, with her parents identifying her to the newspaper Fagersta-Posten.

Investigators are reportedly examining a TikTok account that posted a photo of a sword approximately 20 minutes before the attack, the source said. According to Dagens Nyheter, the image appeared to have been taken inside a restroom at the school itself.

The suspect’s TikTok account, which was active for about a month before being removed on Friday, contained videos referencing past acts of mass violence in Sweden as well as Norwegian far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik. One video specifically mentioned a 2015 attack in Trollhättan, western Sweden, in which a masked individual wielding a sword killed a teaching assistant and two children before being fatally shot by police.

“The investigators are looking into various online communities which might have encouraged the suspect to carry out the attack,” the police source said.

Political Leaders Suspend Campaign Activities Ahead of Election

In response to the tragedy, several political party leaders canceled planned speeches on Saturday, temporarily suspending their campaign activities ahead of the upcoming September 13 election.

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