Sword-Wielding Attacker Injures Several at Swedish School

Several people were injured after a sword attack at a secondary school in central Sweden, local authorities said, with police taking one person into custody.

The assault happened at Brinellskolan in Fagersta, a town in Västmanland County. The municipality said on Friday that an attacker armed with a sword entered the school and wounded several people before being detained by police.

Police said they received a call about “ongoing deadly violence at a school in Fagersta”. They confirmed that one person had been taken into custody and said officers were still working at the scene using multiple resources.

Police And Emergency Response

A police spokesman, Pelle Vamstad, told the TT news agency that an alarm was received early on Friday afternoon and that officers were sent to the school immediately.

The police said the public should follow instructions and respect roadblocks while the situation was being handled. They added that staff were still present at the scene as they continued to carry out their response.

Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported that ambulances, police vehicles and a police helicopter were stationed outside the school in the town of about 12,000 inhabitants.

School Searches And Area Lockdowns

The municipality did not state how many people were hurt. It said police were searching the school and that other schools in the area had been locked down.

Police said work continued on site and that the investigation was at an early stage, with authorities trying to establish what happened during the attack.

Possible Use Of Footage

Vamstad said prosecutors and investigators would look into whether there was relevant camera footage that could be used in the preliminary investigation.

He did not provide any further details about the attacker or the circumstances leading up to the incident.

Aftonbladet reported that a person armed with a machete had been shot in the leg by police. Police and the municipality did not confirm the report in the statements they issued.

Government Monitors Situation

Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said the government was following developments closely. He said he had been informed of a serious incident in Fagersta, that police were working on site, and that officials were in contact with the police and monitoring the situation.

Police have not said when students and staff would be allowed to return to normal routines.

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21 August 2026

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