A KNIFE-wielding masked man stabbed four people at a school in southern Sweden, killing one teacher and a student before being shot dead by police.
Students fled from the Kronan school in Trollhattan, near Gothenburg, Sweden's second-largest city, as the attack took place in a nearby cafe at about 8am yesterday.
Before the stabbings, the 21-year-old attacker from Trollhattan apparently posed for photos with students.
Police arrived to find one male teacher already dead and two male students - aged 17 and 15 - and another male teacher seriously wounded, police spokesman Thomas Fuxborg told The Associated Press. The 17-year-old boy and the attacker died later in hospital.
The condition of the two wounded, who underwent surgery, was last night described as serious but stable.
Dr Lars Spetz told reporters the teacher had been stabbed in the abdomen.
Police fired two shots, one of which hit the attacker.
The attacker had at least one large knife and possibly two, including what may have been a sword, another police spokesman said. He said authorities knew the attacker had killed the teacher "because of the wounds he had".
The school has 400 students, ranging from pre-school to high school.
Laith Alazze, a 14-year-old student at Kronan, said at first he thought the attacker - who was clad in black with a mask - had something to do with Halloween.
"One of my friends walked over to him to challenge him, but when we saw he stabbed him (the teacher), we ran away," he told Sweden's TV4.
The attacker had gunshot wounds to his lower chest and died later at the hospital.
Swedish media said the school held a meeting on Thursday morning to discuss teachers' fears that the school was too open. The Dagens Nyheter newspaper said students must go through a public cafe to reach the school's cafeteria and other parts of the building.
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, who headed to the scene, said it was a "black day."
"My thoughts go out to the victims and their families, the students and staff, and the whole community that has been affected," Mr Lofven said. "No words can describe what they are going through right now."
Swedish King Carl Gustaf said: "Sweden is in shock".
"It’s with great dismay and sorrow that I and my family have been informed of the events in Trollhattan.
"Our thoughts go to the afflicted and their families, to the victims who are now under care in critical conditions, and to the pupils and staff of the school who now need all support."
