The last time I wrote about Sweden, just five days ago, was to highlight the murder of an anti-Islam activist named Salwan Momika. Momika was shot to death last Wednesday and so far no one has been arrested. He was infamous in the Muslim world because he had publicly burned the Koran a few times, specifically to make the point that Islam was not compatible with the modern world. His murderer seems to have proven his point.
But there's more to the story because Momika and another man were also on trial for the burning of the Korans. He was supposed to be sentenced on the day he was murdered and a few days later his fellow defendant in the case was found guilty.
"There is a wide scope within the framework of freedom of expression to be critical of a religion in a factual and objective debate," judge Goran Lundahl said in a statement.
"At the same time, expressing one's opinion about religion does not give one a free pass to do or say anything and everything without risking offending the group that holds that belief," he said.
The court found Najem, 50, guilty of four counts of "agitation against a national or ethnic group".
Islam is not a national or ethnic group but whatever. The point is that Sweden and the murderers agree Momika went too far and had to be punished. The murderers just got to him first.
Because that just happened it's probably on a lot of people's minds as they hear about a shooting which took place today. So far authorities aren't saying anything about the identity of the shooter or a possible motive and there may be no connection to anything like terrorism. All we know is that this is the worst mass shooting in Swedish history.
The gunfire erupted about 12:30 p.m. local time at the Risbergska educational center, which caters to about 2,000 students and offers classes for adults studying for a high school diploma, along with Swedish-language classes and vocational classes, its website says, in a city that has a large population of immigrants and asylum seekers...
“I was eating with colleagues when, all of a sudden, a lot of students came running, saying we have to leave,” the center’s principal, Ingela Back Gustafsson, told Sweden’s public broadcaster, SVT. “When we were out in the schoolyard, I heard a lot of shots nearby. We yelled ‘Run, run.’ And we ran for our lives.”...
“We have seen a brutal act of violence,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a televised address. “This is the worst mass shooting in Swedish history.”
The shooter is believed to be one of the 10 dead. Police aren't identifying him but are saying he doesn't appear to have any gang connections.
Police said that the perpetrator was not known to them before the shooting and that he was not connected to any gangs. They also said they did not believe the motive was terror related. Police did not say what type of weapon was used by the gunman.
“We think he is a lone perpetrator,” Forest said. He added that the shooting was “extremely tragic, with many involved.”...
The police said in a later update they were investigating various addresses in Örebro and that work at the crime scene continued. “At the moment, the police believe that the perpetrator was acting alone, but we cannot rule out more perpetrators connected to the incident,” it said.
If everything else is ruled out I guess the only option left is some kind of personal reason or workplace violence. We'll probably know more tomorrow. Meanwhile, there is some video from the scene.
Sweden, school shooting, numerous casualties reported. Swedish culture is now marked by constant bombings and shootings, resembling the Syrian-Iraqi environment.
— Ofer Binshtok - Kafir - עופר בינשטוק (@Ofer_binshtok) February 4, 2025
The shooter remains unidentified, but the focus is on the devastating change Sweden is experiencing. pic.twitter.com/FSnP10SS2w
Exclusive Inside footage reveals red siren alerting at Risbergska School during Örebro shooting.
— JUST IN | World (@justinbroadcast) February 4, 2025
Students shared footage of themselves hiding under the desks in a classroom.#Risbergska #Orebro #Sweden #ÖrebroShooting #RisbergskaShooting #SchoolShooting pic.twitter.com/8OssNB3hOz
I'll update below if there are any developments in the next few hours.
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