By Marie Mannes and Johan Ahlander
OREBRO, Sweden (Reuters) -The worst mass shooting in Swedish history was carried out by a 35-year-old unemployed recluse with a hunting licence who had withdrawn from family and friends, Swedish media have reported citing relatives of the man, who has not been named by police.
At least 11 people – including the gunman – died in Tuesday’s shooting at an adult education centre in Orebro, 200 km (125 miles) west of Stockholm, police said.
They said the shooter seemed to have acted alone. He fired at police when they arrived at the school and then likely killed himself, officials have said.
Police have not confirmed media reports on his age and profile. But they did say that it was a man, that he was not known to them prior to the event and had never been convicted of any crime. They said he had no gang connection.
Police also said they have no clear picture of the motive yet but that nothing so far pointed to an ideological motive behind the attack.
Daily tabloid Aftonbladet, which spoke to relatives of the man believed to be the shooter, described him as a recluse who had had limited contact with his family for years.
Swedish public broadcaster SVT, which did not cite its sources, said the attacker, like many in Sweden, had a hunting license and was using a hunting weapon during the shooting. The attacker lived in Orebro, it said.
SVT, Aftonbladet and Expressen tabloid said the gunman had changed his surname several years ago, with no clear indication as to why he did it.
The school where the attack was carried out teaches adults who did not complete school or are seeking higher grades to access higher education. It is located on a campus that also houses schools for children.
The country has a high level of gun ownership by European standards, mainly linked to hunting, though it is much lower than in the United States. A gang crime wave has highlighted the high incidence of illegal weapons in Sweden.
Citing unnamed sources, Aftonbladet reported that the attacker hid his weapon in a “guitar-shaped” box and changed clothes in the school bathroom before he started shooting.
Late on Tuesday, police vans and personnel were still outside an apartment building in central Orebro that had been raided earlier.
A 35-year-old man was listed as living in the building. Police did not confirm whether he was the suspect.
“We saw a lot of police with drawn weapons,” said Lingam Tuohmaki, 42, who lives in the same building. “We were at home and heard a commotion outside.”
(Reporting by Johan Ahlander in Orebro and Marie Mannes in Stockholm; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Saad Sayeed and Philippa Fletcher)
