Expert says online forums can turn school attack ideas into action

Online activity and participation in violence promoting internet movements are increasingly significant factors in school attacks, researcher Robin Andersson Malmros told SVT.

Andersson Malmros, deputy director of the Segerstedt Institute at the University of Gothenburg and a lecturer at the University of Borås, said information about the 18 year old suspected of murder and attempted murder in connection with the school attack in Fagersta closely matches patterns seen among perpetrators of school attacks.

Most perpetrators are male and aged between 15 and 19, although younger and older attackers have also been recorded, he said on SVT’s Aktuellt programme. Nine out of 10 are current or former students at the school where the attack takes place, and they often live near the location.

Their backgrounds often include mental ill health and some form of marginalisation in relation to the school environment, such as bullying, Andersson Malmros said.

Police investigate TikTok account

Less than half an hour before the alarm about the attack, a TikTok account shared an image of a sword like object. The same account had previously shared images that could be interpreted as praise for violent attacks.

According to information obtained by SVT, police are investigating the account. It was taken down shortly after the attack at the police’s request.

Andersson Malmros said violence promoting online forums can help people move from an idea to action in a school attack.