Swedish police probe online networks after girl killed in Fagersta school sword attack
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An 18-year-old man attacked students with a sword at a high school in Fagersta, Sweden, on Friday, killing a 17-year-old girl and severely injuring two teenage boys. Police are investigating whether the attacker was involved in online communities promoting school violence, including a TikTok account that posted a picture of a sword 20 minutes before the assault. The suspect was arrested and prosecutors ordered his detention on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
Key Facts
- The attack occurred at a high school in Fagersta, Sweden, on Friday, August 21, 2026.
- A 17-year-old girl was killed and two teenage boys were severely injured.
- The suspect, an 18-year-old man, was arrested and detained on suspicion of murder and several counts of attempted murder.
- Police are investigating a TikTok account that posted a picture of a sword 20 minutes before the assault.
- The TikTok account referenced two mass violence attacks in Sweden and Norwegian far-right mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik.
The Attack
An 18-year-old man attacked students with a sword at a high school in Fagersta, a town in central Sweden, on Friday. The attacker killed a 17-year-old girl and severely injured two teenage boys before being arrested by police. The parents of the 17-year-old girl told local newspaper Fagersta-Posten that their daughter was killed in the attack. Prosecutors on Saturday ordered the man's detention on suspicion of murder and several counts of attempted murder.
Online Activity Investigation
Police are investigating whether the suspect was involved in online communities promoting school violence, a police source said. Investigators are examining a TikTok account that posted a picture of a sword 20 minutes before the assault, the source told Reuters. According to Dagens Nyheter, the image appeared to have been taken in a restroom at the school. Before it was taken down on Friday, the month-old account contained videos referring to two mass violence attacks in Sweden and to Norwegian far-right mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik. It also referenced a 2015 attack in Trollhattan, western Sweden, where a masked swordsman killed a teaching assistant and two boys before being shot dead by police.
Investigation Status
"The investigators are looking into various online communities which might have egged on the suspect to carry out the attack," the police source said. Prosecutor Ann-Sofie Trossing told Reuters that the investigation is at an intense stage, with interrogations and information gathering ongoing. Trossing declined to provide specifics about the investigation.
1 source
Swedish police probe online networks after girl killed in Fagersta school sword attack
