Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said a possible ‘terrorist’ motive is being investigated.
A man armed with an ax attacked and wounded eight people in a southern town in Sweden on Wednesday before being shot and arrested.
We heard a scream from the street. Then we saw a man come into the shop, screaming that he had been stabbed, ”Asa Karlqvist, owner of a flower shop, told the local newspaper Vetlanda-Posten.
“Blood was running from his shoulder, so we grabbed towels and put pressure on the wound,” she said.
Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said a possible “terrorist” motive is being investigated.
“In light of what has emerged in the police investigation so far, prosecutors have launched a preliminary investigation into terrorist offenses,” he said.
Shortly after his statement, detectives at a police press conference said they were conducting a preliminary investigation into attempted murder with details “prompting us to investigate terrorist motives.”
“But at the moment I cannot go into details,” said Police Commissioner Malena Grann.
Police said the man in his 20s attacked people in the small town of Vetlanda, 190 km southeast of Gothenburg, Sweden’s second largest city. His motive was not immediately known.
The man was shot by police, who said the condition of the attackers and the perpetrator was not immediately known. Officials have not provided details of the identity of the suspect, who has been taken to hospital.
Local police chief Jonas Lindell said “the injuries do not appear to be life-threatening,” but was unable to provide further details.
The events took place in the center of Vetlanda and police said they received a call just after 2pm GMT about a man who had attacked people with an ax. Police also said there are five crime scenes in this city of about 13,000 residents.
Lofven condemned “this horrible act” and added that the Swedish Internal Security Agency SAPO was also working on the matter.
“They continuously assess whether there are reasons to take safety-enhancing measures and are willing to do so if necessary,” he said in a statement.