The 35-year-old who is suspected of having murdered ten people at Campus Risbergska was, according to the police, a "motivated perpetrator with a deadly weapon". Early on, the police announced that there are no signs of an ideological motive, although it is not ruled out.
To be considered terrorism, there must be an ideological motive – religious or political, says Magnus Ranstorp.
Different types of crimes can be classified as terrorism. The purpose is decisive.
The intention can be to instill serious fear in a population or population group, to force a state to refrain from doing something or to compel it to do something, or to seriously destabilize political, social, economic, constitutional foundations in society.
This is precisely what is crucial for the terrorism classification, something that Chief Prosecutor Hans Ihrman also confirms. He was in charge of the trial after the terrorist attack on Drottninggatan.
There must have been a risk that the crime could have harmed Sweden. The purpose has been to instill fear and terror in the general public at large. It is not enough that one has instilled fear and terror in the people at, in this case, a school, he says to DN.
Multiple nationalities
Among the victims in Örebro are, among others, Syrian citizens and a Bosnian citizen, according to the respective countries' embassies. The police have confirmed that there are multiple nationalities among the victims.
If one can show that the perpetrator, for example, has targeted a particular group of people, it can be a matter of terrorism, according to Ranstorp.
The door is still open. But I do not think it is enough that he just chose certain people, as long as he has not also expressed something, says the terrorism researcher.
The difficulty is to see and find what signs there are of whether this is directed against foreigners. Then it's about looking at mobile phones and computers, following the digital footprint, his search history.
Socially isolated
Ranstorp describes the suspect as "a bit odd" and probably difficult to get a grip on, considering his solitary life. The fact that he is no longer alive also makes it more difficult for the police.
Usually, they have written a manifesto or leaked – to relatives, friends, or on social media – that they intend to do something. This person seems to have lived very socially isolated, and then it becomes more difficult.
According to Swedish law, a terrorist offense is an act that can seriously harm a state or intergovernmental organization. The intention shall be to:
Instill serious fear in a population or population group.
Force public authorities or an intergovernmental organization to take, or refrain from taking, an action.
Seriously destabilize or destroy fundamental political, constitutional, economic, or social structures.
Source: Crisis information
