Explosions were heard at the Mosque (Image: Getty)
Explosions and gunshots rocked Friday prayers at a mosque in Örebro, Sweden, this afternoon (August 15). Police reported that at least two people had been shot and that a manhunt for the gunman was underway.
Police said more people were injured in the incident, but did not give details on how many were hurt or how serious their injuries were. The public have been urged to avoid the area. Following the sounding of the alarm at 1:45pm local time, rescue services and an ambulance have rushed to the scene. According to Aftonbladet’s information, two people were shot and the hunt for a suspected perpetrator is ongoing. Earlier this summer, Sweden was declared the EU’s gun crime capital, with police believing about 62,000 persons are active in, or have a connection to, the criminal network in the country.
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KEY EVENTS
Mosque not the target
The mosque has said in a statement that it was not the target. They have encouraged their members to pray at home.
The mosque is closed for the evening.
Images show heavy police presence
Images show a heavy police presence at the scene as the manhunt for the shooter continues.
Police are searching for the shooter. (Image: Getty)
Police remain at the scene. (Image: Getty)
Where is Orebro?
Örebro is the seventh-largest city in Sweden, situated by the Närke Plain. It has about 126,000 residents in the city proper.
It is one of the country’s largest inland hubs and a major logistics and commercial operating site.
It’s about 124 miles from Stockholm, 205 miles from Oslo and 174 miles from Gothenburg. The city is served by Örebro Airport six miles southwest of the city.
Örebro is home to Örebro University, a major university hospital, a medieval castle, the water park Gustavsvik as well as several large shopping malls and the Oset and Rynningeviken Nature Reserve, adjacent to Lake Hjälmaren.
(Image: Getty)
Pictured: Emergency services on scene at Orebro mosque
Pictures have started to arrive from the scene of the shooting on Friday afternoon.
Both police and ambulance can be seen near the police cordon.
(Image: Getty)
(Image: Getty)
Forest area cordoned off
According to photos from the scene, a forest area near the mosque is cordoned off.
(Image: Getty)
No update on conditions of those injured
Two people have been injured in the shooting this afternoon. However, the extent of injuries is still unknown.
Local police said in a press statement at 2:35pm local time (1:35pm BST) that they were investigating the shooting as an attempted murder, but said they could not yet comment on how seriously injured the two victims were.
‘Gang-related incident’, says police
According to the latest police update, the shooting is likely an “isolated incident” and gang-related – not directly aimed at the mosque – according to police spokesman Lars Hedelin.
Gang crime in Sweden is a serious issue. The country has seen a notable increase in gang-related violence, including shootings and bombings, and has the second-highest rate of gun crime deaths in Europe, after Albania.
Earlier this summer, Sweden was declared the EU’s gun crime capital, with police believing about 62,000 persons are active in, or have a connection to, the criminal network in the country.
(Image: Getty)
Latest shooting a few months after one of Sweden’s worst-ever mass shootings, also in Örebro
On February 4th, Örebro was the site of one of Sweden’s worst-ever mass shootings.
Rickard Andersson, 35, shot dead 10 victims and injured six others at the Campus Risbergska adult education college and then shot himself before police could arrest him.
This surpassed the 1994 spree shooting in Falun as the deadliest mass shooting in Sweden, which saw Mattias Flink, a second lieutenant in the army, kill seven people.
(Image: Getty)
Currently unknown whether attack was directed at person or mosque
Mazen Muwaffak, the treasurer of the Örebro mosque, told Expressen newspaper that the shooting “happened right after Friday prayers”.
“We don’t yet know if it was directed against the person or against the mosque.”
Supsect ‘pumped a barrage of shots’ into victim, says witness
A witness has told Swedish television that the assailant pumped a barrage of shots into his victim as he left the mosque in Boglundsängen.
The target was then left lying injured on the ground.
“He was on his way out of the mosque, then another man came up and fired off four or five shots. Then he fired off more shots as he was lying on the slope,” the witness told Sweden’s public broadcaster SVT.
Public warned to ‘NOT’ approach location
Police said in a statement, reiterated several times: “We currently have no information about the extent of the damage.
“We urge the public NOT to approach the scene.”
Where has the shooting taken place?
The shooting has occurred outside the mosque at Boglundsängen in the Vivalla district of Orebro, west of Sweden’s capital, Stockholm.
“I heard five, six bangs”, a resident in the area told Aftonbladet.
Attempted murder investigation launched
A preliminary investigation into attempted murder has been initiated, local police have said on their website.
It also confirmed that two people have been injured in connection with the shooting.
(Image: Getty)
Hunt for suspect underway
As of 2:45pm local time (1:45pm BST) police are still searching for potential suspects.
“We don’t know if it’s one person or several. But we’re currently searching with several patrols,” says police spokesman Anders Dahlman.
Shots fired during Friday prayers in Boglundsängen, Sweden
According to Aftonbladet, two people have been shot and the suspected perpetrator is at large after Friday prayers at the mosque at Boglundsängen, Örebro, in south-central Sweden.
After the alarm was raised at 1:45pm local time, rescue services and an ambulance rushed to the scene.
Welcome to the live blog
Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage following a shooting in Örebro, Sweden.
Please follow along for updates.
