Sweden's immigrants on edge after mass shooting

by Nioucha ZAKAVATI

The motive behind Sweden's deadliest mass shooting may never be known but the fact that almost all of the victims had foreign backgrounds has sparked concern among the country's immigrants.

On February 4, 35-year-old Rickard Andersson entered the Campus Risbergska adult education center in Orebro and killed 10 people before turning his gun on himself.

Police have not publicly named the victims but their foreign backgrounds soon came to light when their names and photos were published in Swedish newspapers and on social media.

Salim Iskef, a 28-year-old Syrian nursing assistant who came to Sweden in 2015. Niloofar Dehbaneh, 46, an Iranian nursing assistant living in Sweden since 2011.

Elsa Teklay, a 32-year-old nursing assistant who arrived in 2015 from Eritrea. Bassam Al Sheleh, a 48-year-old baker who left Lebanon nine years ago. Ali Mohammed Jafari, 31.

Kamar, 38, who fled Somalia's civil war 17 years ago. Aziza, a 68-year-old Kurd, who taught math at Campus Risbergska.

Three other women have not been identified in the media. One of them, a 55-year-old, was of Bosnian origin.

- 'Just students'-

Mirna Issa, 31, was in the middle of a Swedish language class for foreigners at Risbergska when the first gunshots rang out around midday.

"Why? We're just students. Students don't do anything" bad, she told AFP the day after the shooting, as she, her husband and daughter lay down flowers near the school.

Campus Risbergska offers Swedish classes for foreigners as well as secondary school classes for adults.

Margaretha, a 68-year-old pensioner in Orebro, also spoke to AFP as she paid her respects to the victims three days after the shooting.

As soon as she heard about the attack, she immediately thought racism could be behind it.

"There are a lot of immigrants who come here to learn Swedish or learn a trade. It's really terrible. There are no words," she said, her eyes hidden behind sunglasses.

Police have remained tight-lipped about the killer's possible motive.

The day after the tragedy, police said there was no indication of an "ideological motive" before apologizing for the "unfortunate phrasing".

They said a racist motive was one of several being investigated.

"That has been the case since we understood who the victims were. We have included the ethnicity criteria in our investigation," deputy police chief Niclas Hallgren told public broadcaster SVT.

"What we have said is that we haven't found any other elements indicating that there was an ideological motive but we are keeping that possibility open," he said.

- 'Particular vulnerability' -

Annie Boroian, a social worker who has been active in anti-racism work for several years, said she has noticed an increase in concern among foreigners in Sweden since the tragedy.

"Many feel a sense of exclusion" from society, she told AFP.

"There's a lot of prejudice. Many have experienced racism," she said.

"They're often blamed for the rising crime" by the country's right-wing government, backed by the far-right Sweden Democrats, Boroian said.

Sweden's political leaders and royal couple visited Orebro the day after the shooting.

During a visit by opposition leader Magdalena Andersson, whose Social Democrats have also called for a sharp reduction in immigration, a woman in the crowd was caught on camera shouting out: "Speak about us -- the immigrants -- in positive terms!"

In an address to the nation on Sunday, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he understood the concern felt by "people of foreign background who say they feel a particular vulnerability".

The victims "came from different places in the world and had different dreams", he said.

"They were at school to lay the foundation for a future that has now been taken from them."

Police have said their investigation could take up to a year and the killer's motive may never be established.

Andersson had been enrolled at Campus Risbergska in the past but not attended classes since 2021.

Police have described him as an unemployed recluse with no prior criminal record, who had a hunting licence for four guns.

He had lived alone in an apartment since 2016, "with very few contacts with other people", leaving few traces behind, even online.

© Agence France-Presse