Teacher, student killed in Swedish school sword attack

TROLLHäTTAN, Sweden, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- A masked, sword-wielding man launched an attack at the Kronan School in western Sweden on Thursday, killing one teacher and one student, and injuring three others.

The teacher died at the scene of the attack in Trollhattan, a small town 45 miles north of Gothenburg -- Sweden's second-largest city. One of the two male students seriously injured with stab wounds died while receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.

The attack began at about 10 a.m. local time and school children initially thought it was a prank.

"When we first saw him, we thought it was a joke. He was wearing a mask and black clothes and [carrying] a long sword. Some students wanted to take their picture with him and feel the sword," an unidentified student told the Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå Swedish news agency.

The 21-year-old suspected attacker was shot by police. He was in serious condition and received an operation at the Norra Älvsborgs Länssjukhus regional hospital.

There was chaos at the school as people gathered and emergency personnel arrived. One of the ambulances crashed into a wall of the school.

Students began to flee when the attack unfolded in the school's cafeteria. The school has about 400 children enrolled in studies, aged 6 to 15.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven will visit Trollhättan on Thursday afternoon to meet with victims.

"This is a dark day for Sweden. I am thinking of the victims and their families, pupils and staff, and the whole affected community," Löfven said in a statement. "Words cannot describe what they are going through right at the moment. We feel for them, and we will make sure that they get all the support they need."