Swedish hobby hunter in terminal stage kills 10 people
He was a loner with mental health problems! Andersson lived in isolation and had barely any social contacts – he even withdrew from his own family.
The hobby hunter who killed 10 people earlier this week in Sweden’s worst mass shooting was connected to the adult education center, according to law enforcement authorities.
The killer, 35-year-old Rickard Andersson, held a licence for four hunting weapons, which he used during his rampage. Three rifles were found beside his body. According to police, significant quantities of ammunition for the weapons were also found at the school.
Rampage in Örebro with hunting weapons
It was not clear for some time how he died, but officials stated that the shots were not returned. They are treating it as a suicide.
The school, Campus Risbergska, offers primary and secondary school classes for adults aged 20 and over, Swedish language instruction for immigrants, vocational training, and programmes for people with intellectual disabilities. It is located on the outskirts of Örebro, approximately 200 kilometres from Stockholm.
Around 130 officers arrived on Tuesday after being called to the school by an alarm, and found chaos throughout the entire premises. They described the scene as an «inferno» and believed that the hobby hunter pointed his hunting weapon at them as they entered the building. Yet another tragic case of gun violence involving legal hunting weapons.
«What must never happen has now happened in Sweden as well. (…) We have witnessed brutal, deadly violence against innocent people. This is the worst shooting in Swedish history. We know that many people in Örebro are deeply devastated. Many children are frightened and distressed.» Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson
In addition to the fatalities, five people were seriously injured in the attack, and six police officers suffered smoke inhalation. It remains unclear how the fire that broke out during the attack started.
Neuropsychology of violence among hobby hunters
At the point where violence is unleashed in recreational hunting, damage is inflicted just as much on those who perpetrate it as on those it is directed at — quite concretely so, at the neuronal level. Scientists have established this through research. Neuropsychologists also confirm: the amygdala, a core region of the brain, is markedly underdeveloped or impaired in perpetrators of violence. When this central part of the brain is defective, the sense of disgust, among other things, is switched off. More on the psychology of recreational hunting and on criminality in the context of recreational hunting.
More on this in the dossier: Psychology of hunting
In the view of IG Wild beim Wild, hobby hunters should be required to undergo annual medical-psychological fitness assessments modelled on the Dutch system, as well as a binding upper age limit. The largest age group among hobby hunters today is 65+. Within this group, age-related limitations such as declining eyesight, slowed reaction times, reduced concentration and cognitive deficits increase statistically and markedly. At the same time, accident analyses show that the number of serious hunting accidents involving injuries and fatalities rises significantly from middle age onwards.
The regular reports of hunting accidents, fatal errors and the misuse of hunting weapons highlight a structural problem. The private ownership and use of lethal firearms for recreational purposes largely escapes continuous oversight. From the perspective of IG Wild beim Wild, this is no longer justifiable. A practice based on voluntary killing that simultaneously generates considerable risks for people and animals forfeits its social legitimacy.
Recreational hunting is furthermore rooted in speciesism. Speciesism describes the systematic devaluation of non-human animals solely on the basis of their species membership. It is comparable to racism or sexism and can be justified neither culturally nor ethically. Tradition is no substitute for moral scrutiny.
Critical scrutiny is essential, particularly in the realm of recreational hunting. Few other fields are so dominated by euphemistic narratives, half-truths, and deliberate disinformation. Where violence is normalized, narratives often serve as justification. Transparency, verifiable facts, and open public debate are therefore indispensable.
HOBBY HUNTER RADAR
On the trail of hidden animal welfare offenses, poaching and/or criminal activity? Report suspicious cases to us! Help with the great Hobby Hunter Radar.
