Police shoot and wound armed man outside Stockholm's royal palace
Swedish police shot and wounded a man carrying a knife outside the Royal Palace in Stockholm on Tuesday evening after he approached a guard, officials said.
Update ·
Updated with new reports from our sources.
Swedish police shot and wounded a man outside the Royal Palace in Stockholm on Tuesday evening after he was reported to be armed and behaving aggressively, a police spokesperson said.
Officers were called to the Lejonbacken area outside the palace at around 18:30 local time after reports of a man carrying a weapon and acting threateningly, police spokesperson Susanna Rinaldo told reporters. "Live fire was used" during the operation, Rinaldo said, according to Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter.
The man was hit by the gunfire and taken to hospital by ambulance. Police said his injuries were serious but not life-threatening. He was detained and is being investigated on suspicion of making grave threats against a public official and a serious breach of Sweden's knife law, Dagens Nyheter reported.
Swedish tabloids Aftonbladet and Expressen reported that the man had approached a palace guard carrying a knife and asked to be shot, according to Finnish outlet Iltalehti; police did not confirm what type of weapon he was carrying. Accounts of how many shots were fired varied: a reporter at the scene for Aftonbladet said they heard four or five shots, while a witness interviewed by Expressen described hearing three, Iltalehti reported.
A witness told Dagens Nyheter they heard police shout for the man to stop several times before officers opened fire. Around 10 to 20 police vehicles and several ambulances arrived at the scene within minutes, the witness said, and police used drones to monitor the area as roads and bridges nearby were sealed off.
A Swedish lawmaker, Riksdag member Arin Karapet, posted video from outside the palace on social media showing numerous emergency vehicles at the scene, Iltalehti reported.
Sweden's armed forces said they could not comment on whether the Royal Guard, which is based at the palace, was involved in the incident, referring all questions to police. The royal court also declined to comment. Police said there was no danger to the public.
What we know
- Police shot and wounded a man outside Stockholm's Royal Palace on Tuesday evening.
- The man was reported to be carrying a knife and acting aggressively, witnesses said.
- He was taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries, police said.
- He is being investigated on suspicion of making grave threats and breaching Sweden's knife law.
- Police said there was no danger to the public.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed Exact number of shots fired: witnesses reported hearing between three and five.
- Unconfirmed Reports that the man asked police to shoot him have not been officially confirmed.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The Royal Palace is the official residence of Sweden's King and Queen and one of Europe's largest palaces, with much of the building open to the public year round. A security incident so close to the royal family's workplace drew a large police response in the heart of the Swedish capital.
Updates
·
Updated with new reports from our sources.
First published.
Sources
Reported by 10 reports from 10 independent outlets in 10 countries.
- Iltalehti: Poliisi ampui miestä kohti Tukholmassa
- Daily Mirror: Police open fire at Sweden's Royal Palace as 'man with weapon' spotted
- Dagens Nyheter: Polis har skjutit verkanseld vid slottet i Stockholm
- HLN: Politie lost schoten bij koninklijk paleis in Stockholm op ‘agressieve man’
- Index.hr: Pucnjava kod Kraljevske palače u Stockholmu. Policija ranila naoružanog muškarca
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened outside Stockholm's Royal Palace?
- Police shot and wounded a man who was reported to be armed with a knife and acting aggressively near a palace guard.
- Was anyone else hurt?
- No injuries to the public or officers have been reported.
- Is the man in custody?
- Yes, he was detained and is under investigation on suspicion of threatening a public official and breaching knife laws.
This article was written with AI assistance from 11 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.