Two dead in school attack in Sweden

(Vatican Radio) In Sweden a masked man with a sword attacked a school on Thursday morning killing one pupil and one teacher.

Several pupils were injured during the attack.

Listen to the report by Matthew French: 

The attacker wearing a Halloween style mask entered one of the classrooms welding a sword and proceeded attack the teacher and pupils on Thursday morning.

One pupil and one teacher  were killed in the attack, and several other pupils were injured,  at the Kronan school in Trollhättan, western Sweden, one remains in a critical condition. 

The secondary school has around 400 pupils up to the ninth grade, and concerns had been raised previously about a café located on the school site which is open to the public. 

The Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven visited the school and in a statement said:

"This is a black day for Sweden. My thoughts are with the victims and their families, pupils and staff, and the entire local community. No words can describe what they are going through right now. We feel for them, and we shall ensure that they receive all the support they need."

Stefan Gustafsson from the regional police force confirmed that officers had shot the masked man on the premises, a 21 year old local resident of Trollhättan, who later died of his injuries.

The head of one of Sweden's largest teaching unions has spoken of his shock at Thursday morning's deadly school attack, Bo Jansson, head of the National Union of Teachers in Sweden, said that Swedish schools are 'too open' to the public and are not safe for students or teachers.

School attacks are rare in Sweden - the last been a shooting near Gothenburg in 1961 which killed one person and injured six others.