Kristianstad school stabbing
On 10 January 2022, two people were injured in a stabbing attack at an secondary school in Kristianstad, Sweden. A 16-year-old pupil of the school was responsible behind the incident and arrested at the scene by first responders after disarming himself and calling emergency services.
The perpetrator had a history of mental illness and violent tendencies. Investigation proceeded and on 14 June 2022, the suspect was convicted of three counts of attempted murder and two counts of grossly unlawful threats before being sentenced to 3 years in juvenile detention.
Background
Sweden and wider Scandinavia has had a history of stabbings, most notably the Trollhättan school stabbing, in which three people were killed by an intruder armed with a sword. School attacks have not occurred frequently in Sweden, but instances of them in Sweden have increased in the 2020s.Stabbing
At 9:05 a.m., the 16-year-old student entered NTI Gymnasiet dressed in black clothing and a face mask, armed with four knives. On a utility belt, he attached a wireless speaker, which played the song "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen.The attacker entered a classroom, walked towards a teacher and stabbed him before attempting to stab a student. The student ran into a crowd of other pupils that rushed to an emergency exit. The attacker swung the knife into the crowd, eventually injuring the same student.
At approximately 9:14 a.m., by which time the students had escaped the classroom, the attacker stabbed three of the knives into a desk and laying the fourth knife on top. The attacker then made a phone call to SOS Alarm, Sweden's phoneline for emergency services, confessing to his actions and that stating that he was a friend of the perpetrator behind a school stabbing in Eslöv, which had occurred four months prior. He was arrested without resistance by first responders at the scene.
Perpetrator
According to the investigation, the perpetrator, a 16-year-old male, had a history of mental illness and violent tendencies. He was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as well as oppositional defiant disorder. He had reportedly experienced hallucinations in the months prior to the attack.Police found a manifesto on the student's computer, which was said to contain "racist content". The document had not been released to the public. Police had also found that he often had spread right-wing propaganda online and made frequent Google searches about violent crimes and stabbings. The most frequent searches were about the Columbine High School massacre in which two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 14 people.