Sweden school shooter who gunned down 11 people pictured as family reveal troubled past

A man suspected of carrying out the worst mass shooting in Sweden's history has been pictured for the first time. Rickard Andersson, 35, is believed to be the shooter who is claimed to be a loner with mental health issues but he had licenses to carry four hunting rifles, it is reported. The rampage has left five seriously wounded as well as the 11 dead after the attack at Campus Risbergska, an adult education centre west of Stockholm, as officials warned that the death toll could rise.

The gunman’s motive is still not known as the Scandinavian nation — where gun violence at schools is very rare — reeled from an attack. Reports in Sweden claim that Andersson lived on his own and had mental health problems. He was denied military service – but received a license for four hunting rifles, according to the newspaper Aftonbladet. Documents from the Swedish National Service Agency show that he was repeatedly informed that he was not eligible for military service when he came of age. And the verdict on Andersson reportedly reads: "You and all other Swedish men are obliged to enlist in the year you turn 18. However, the Swedish Conscription Agency will only call those to enlistment who we assess have the conditions to be enrolled for military service or civilian duty or in a training reserve.

"With reference to the National Agency for Education's information, which we have previously informed you about, the National Agency for Education will not call you for muster." The Swedish National Service has reportedly stated the reason he was never called up was because he lacked secondary school qualifications. Grade documents show that he failed to meet any goals to get a qualification at school.

People who knew him have described him as a loner who lacked social skills. A relative said that he used to have a friend with whom he hung out but not recently. But at the same time he had firearms licences for four rifles. "We haven't had much contact with him in recent years. As a child he was different but lively," one relative said. Another family member said: "He's really a loner. He used to have a friend he hung out with a lot, but not now. He wants to be by himself. He doesn't seem to like people." They added that the suspect had little contact with his parents who are "travelling a lot". It is alleged that during the shooting at the school he had three rifles and a knife - one of which was a standard hunting rifle with 30–06 calibre ammunition.

Officials said today that three women and two men, all with gunshot wounds, underwent surgery at Orebro University Hospital. All were in serious but stable condition after being admitted to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Another woman was treated for minor injuries and was stable. All of the victims are over age 18, officials said. No other patients related to the shooting were admitted to Orebro University Hospital overnight. The school, called Campus Risbergska, offers primary and secondary educational classes for adults age 20 and older, Swedish-language classes for immigrants, vocational training and programs for people with intellectual disabilities. It is on the outskirts of Orebro, which is about 125 miles west of Stockholm.