Danish police are watching online networks for possible copycats after a deadly sword attack at a school in Fagersta, Sweden, DR’s legal correspondent says.
According to DR, the attack at Brinellskolan is being linked by Swedish media and by DR’s own research to extreme online communities where violence and sadism are celebrated. In those communities, the perpetrators of school attacks are frequently glorified.
DR’s legal correspondent, Louise Dalsgaard, says Danish authorities train regularly for attacks on schools. That is partly because Norway and Sweden have both been hit by such incidents. Per Dalsgaard, police monitor whether Danes in these online networks begin mentioning and glorifying the Swedish attack.
The Danish police attention follows the arrest in early August of three teenagers, who were charged under the terrorism provisions over a planned attack on Hadsten Skole. As reported by DR, similar online communities played a role in that case. PET declined an interview but issued a written response after the terror charges were filed.
In that response, PET stated that the threat picture in the West is increasingly marked by extreme violent incidents that resemble terror but lack a clear ideological motive. The service noted that offenders without clear ideological ties often select targets close to home or in settings they belong to. It said schools can therefore potentially be targets for young offenders in this category.
PET also pointed to violence-fascinated online cultures, including so-called nihilist violent extremism, school-attack communities and incel culture. According to the written response, these communities often overlap. PET highlighted the growing threat from extreme online networks in its most recent threat assessment.
Dalsgaard says the Swedish attack is not in itself grounds to raise the Danish alert level. Denmark has lived with a high terror threat level for many years. Each police district maintains specialized response patrols around the clock, trained for armed situations.
The attack took place on Friday, August 21, at Brinellskolan in Fagersta. SVT Nyheter reported that a 17-year-old girl was killed and three teenagers were injured, and that 18-year-old Liam Nebel was remanded in custody on Sunday on probable cause suspicion of murder and attempted murder. BBC reported that officers fired at the suspect before arresting him, and that eight other schools in the area were briefly locked down.
Dagens Nyheter reported that Fagersta municipality confirmed Nebel had been a student at the school and had access through a key tag. The newspaper also said prosecutors must file charges or request an extension by September 21, 2026. AP reported that the school has roughly 400 to 500 students and that the attack happened during the school day.
Swedish authorities announced on Monday that Nebel will be assessed by a doctor. The purpose is to determine whether there are grounds for a full forensic psychiatric examination, DR reports. A TikTok profile linked by Swedish media to the suspect is being investigated by police.
