Kungälv school shooting

Kungälv school shooting
Location Kungälv, Sweden
Date March 4, 1961
11:30 p.m.
Attack type
 School shooting
Weapons Pistol
Deaths 1
Non-fatal injuries
 6
Perpetrator Ove Conry Andersson

The Kungälv school shooting took place on 4 March 1961 in Kungälvs läroverk, in central Kungälv in Västra Götaland, Sweden.[1] The school is currently known as Thorildskolan.

This was the first reported School shooting in Sweden and one of the earliest in Europe.[2] Seven youngsters were wounded by 15 bullets fired by the perpetrator and one died from his wounds.

The memory of the murdered Per Håkan Altvall is kept alive in Kungälv via a stipend "awarded annually to one or a number of students know for good friendship and social support to students".[3]

Incident and perpetrator

Around 23.30 on March 4, 1961, a large group of youngsters were dancing in the school gym hall. During the last dance, 17-year-old perpetrator Ove Conry Andersson entered, pulled out a gun and started shooting randomly. The youngsters attempted to hide under chairs and behind a piano, and some girls started to cry.

Seven youngsters were wounded, including the 18 year old Per Håkan Altvall who later died from his wounds. He was hit in the stomach by several bullets.[4] The wounded were first taken to a class room in the school and later to Kungälv hospital.

Kungälv police chased the gunman all night on the road to Ytterby, where it was assumed he had escaped. Kungälv police requested assistance from police in both Ytterby and Gothenburg.

The following morning, March 5, just before 8 AM, the killer showed up at the police station, driven there by an older coworker. A few hours later, the 17 year old gunman had willingly told the police all his details of the incident.

On March 6, all of the school gathered in the gym hall in memory of Per Altvall.

Some bullet holes from this shooting are still visible above the stairs in Thorildskolan.

Conry Andersson committed suicide on 12 August 2008.

Sources

  1. ↑ http://www.scancomark.com/Scandinavia-today/Swedish-public-school-students-prepared-to-protect-themselves-in-case-of-a-school-shooting-120716032013
  2. ↑ https://schoolshooters.info/sites/default/files/timeline_school_shootings_1.5.pdf
  3. ↑ Anja, Paulsson (2011). "Per Håkan AltvallsStipendium". Mimers Hus Gymnasium Nytt. Retrieved 2013.
  4. ↑ http://www.thelocal.se/20130320/46828