Sweden was reeling and the authorities were searching for answers on Wednesday after what the government called the worst mass shooting in the country’s history.
The authorities said that at least 11 people, including the person suspected of being the shooter, were killed on Tuesday at an adult education center in the city of Orebro, west of Stockholm, the capital. At least five people were wounded, including one person hospitalized in critical condition.
The police have not identified the shooter, who they said appeared to have acted alone. They also have declined to speculate about a motive, but told local news media that there was no indication that the attack “was part of a larger operation.”
The campus shooting sent shock waves through Sweden. The country has long been known for low crime rates and high living standards, but statistics show that it has been grappling with one of the highest per capita rates of gun violence in the European Union.
Sweden’s prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, on Wednesday ordered flags flown at half-staff in response to what he called a “horrific act of violence.”
Families of the dead and injured were gathering outside the school in Orebro, which remained shuttered and cordoned off with blue and white police tape on Wednesday. Police officers stood guard around the yellow-brick building, as people placed flowers and candles outside the center, which offers classes to adults studying for a high school diploma.
Peter Larsson, the municipal director of Orebro, said the Risbergska educational center would remain closed for at least the rest of the week.
“I’m devastated,” Mr. Larsson said. “It’s really, very heavy.”
