Tragedy Strikes in Orebro: Unanswered Questions and Immigrant Concerns
Stockholm (AFP) – When tragedy strikes without a clear motive, the air is thick with uncertainty and unspoken fears. The mass shooting at Campus Risbergska in Orebro is Sweden’s deadliest to date, leaving a community—and a nation—grappling with questions that may remain unanswered. Is it possible to explain the unexplainable? The haunting reality is that most of the victims came from foreign backgrounds, stirring ongoing debates and raising concerns among immigrants across the country.
On February 4, Rickard Andersson, a 35-year-old man, stormed into the adult education centre, his actions taking ten lives before he ultimately turned the gun on himself. The victims’ identities, initially withheld, soon surfaced through Swedish media and social channels, shedding light on their diverse international origins.
A brief glimpse into their lives unveils stories of individuals who sought refuge and purpose in Sweden. Among them was Salim Iskef, a 28-year-old nursing assistant who had fled Syria in 2015. Niloofar Dehbaneh, a 46-year-old who made Sweden her home after leaving Iran in 2011, also lost her life in this senseless tragedy. Likewise, there was Elsa Teklay, a diligent assistant from Eritrea, Bassam Al Sheleh, a Lebanese baker, Ali Mohammed Jafari, and Kamar, who escaped the turmoil of Somalia 17 years ago. Completing this sorrowful list was Aziza, a 68-year-old Kurdish teacher beloved by her students at the very school now shadowed by death.
“Just students,” laments Mirna Issa, a 31-year-old who speaks for many when she confesses her bewilderment at the tragedy. “Why? We’re just students. Students don’t do anything bad.” This simple yet powerful question reverberates through the corridors of Campus Risbergska, a place once known for nurturing hope through Swedish language and vocational classes, now marked by trauma and grief.
Even onlookers, like Margaretha—a 68-year-old pensioner—felt an unsettling immediacy upon hearing the news. “It felt like racism might have been the cause,” she shared with an exposed vulnerability, sunglasses shielding her tears. “Many immigrants come here to learn Swedish, to start over. There are no words for what happened here.” Are events like this ever truly fathomable?
Even as police focus on the investigation, officially considering racism among potential motives, the case remains entangled in ambiguity. “We haven’t found any ideological motives, but we’re not ruling anything out yet,” says deputy police chief Niclas Hallgren of the inquiry taking an oft-quoted ‘year or more.’ What dark truth, if any, will time unravel?
Annie Boroian, an advocate for immigrant rights and a seasoned social worker, echoes the unease felt in communities now further marginalized by this horror. “The sense of exclusion is palpable,” she remarked. “There’s prejudice, and immigrants often find themselves scapegoated by political rhetoric.” Sweden’s political landscape, marked by far-right biases under the current government, does little to soothe these fears.
The poignant plea of a woman during opposition leader Magdalena Andersson’s visit is still vivid: “Speak about us—the immigrants—in positive terms!” Such cries for recognition and respect overshadow the shallow platitudes sometimes offered by public figures.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, addressing the nation on a somber Sunday, sought to validate these concerns, acknowledging the victims’ varied backgrounds and dreams forever interrupted. But alongside expressions of sympathy, the search for underlying causes continues, compelling society to reflect on its stance towards those who seek new lives within its borders.
Rickard Andersson remains an enigma—a reclusive figure since 2016, absent from Campus Risbergska for over two years without a criminal record yet licensed for hunting. A riddle of a man whose actions defy comprehension, he lingers as a shadow on a painful chapter that Sweden will not soon forget.
As we search for clarity, let us remember the diversity and vulnerability of those who dream of better futures while finding courage in conversations that challenge the status quo.
