Three people were killed in a shooting in the Swedish city of Uppsala on Tuesday, police said.
A large area was cordoned off in the centre of Uppsala, a university city 45 miles north of Stockholm, after witnesses described hearing multiple shots at about 5pm local time and seeing people running in different directions and hiding.
A masked person was seen fleeing the crime scene on an electric scooter and a police hunt was under way, said police, who appealed to the public for information.
“Quite soon we encountered three people who appeared to have been shot. They did not need to be taken to hospital,” Magnus Jansson Klarin, a spokesperson for Uppsala police, told Svenska Dagbladet.
“We cannot answer whether there is one or more perpetrators at this time,” he added.
The minister of justice, Gunnar Strömmer, condemned the “brutal act of violence” and said his department was in close contact with police and was closely monitoring developments.
The deadly incident came as the city prepared to celebrate Valborg – a Swedish bonfire festival marking the arrival of spring – on Wednesday, with an event to be attended by thousands of people.
Strömmer said: “A brutal act of violence has occurred in central Uppsala. The police have confirmed that three people have lost their lives.
“This at the same time as the whole of Uppsala has begun the Valborg weekend. What has happened is extraordinarily serious.”
Trains coming in and out of the city were temporarily stopped between about 5.30pm and 6pm local time.
A large police operation was under way near Vaksala Square. TV4 News reported that the incident had taken place inside a hair salon.
Police said they were first alerted to the incident shortly after 5pm when they received several calls from members of the public about loud bangs.
Several people were found with suspected gunshot wounds and police cordoned off a large area while they investigated.
At 7.25pm, police confirmed that three people were dead after the shooting and that relatives were yet to be notified.
“Police are investigating the incident as murder,” the force said in an update. Later a spokesperson said the crime had been declared a special incident.
