At least 11 killed in mass shooting at Swedish school

Lone gunman among the dead as Sweden PM says classroom attack is a nightmare that no one should have to experience’

- BARNEY DAVIS ALEX CROFT ANDY GREGORY

Students prayed under their desks and trapped teachers sent desperate texts to loved ones when a gunman opened fire at an adult education centre in Sweden, leaving 11 people dead.

Armed police exchanged shots with the suspect at the Risbergska School, an adult campus in the city of Orebro, some 125 miles west of Stockholm.

The horrific attack – described by prime minister Ulf Kristersson as the worst mass shooting in Swedish history – unfolded yesterday after many students had gone home following a national exam.

Andreas Sundling, 28, was one of the people forced to barricade themselves inside the school. Speaking to the Expressen newspaper while sheltering in a classroom, he said: “We heard three bangs and loud screams. Now we’re sitting here waiting to be evacuated from the school. The information we have received is that we should sit and wait.”

One horrified parent told Swedish media his daughter saw blood at the scene as teachers helped students flee to safety. Pupils were being sheltered in nearby buildings as emergency services scoured the site.