Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said a possible “terrorist” motive was being investigated.
A man armed with an ax attacked and wounded eight people in a southern Swedish town on Wednesday before being shot and arrested.
“I heard a scream in the street. Then I saw a man entering the store, shouting that he had been stabbed, “Asa Karlqvist, the owner of a flower shop, told the local newspaper Vetlanda-Posten.
“Blood was dripping from his shoulder, so I took towels and applied pressure to the wound,” she said.
Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said a possible “terrorist” motive was being investigated.
“In light of what has emerged so far in the police investigation, prosecutors have initiated a preliminary investigation into terrorism offenses,” he said.
Shortly after his statement, investigators at a police press conference said they had begun a preliminary investigation into the attempted murder with details “that make us investigate any terrorist motives.”
“But at the moment I can’t go into details,” said regional police chief Malena Grann.
Police said the 20-year-old man attacked people in the small town of Vetlanda, 190 km southeast of Gothenburg, Sweden’s second-largest city. His motive was not immediately known.
The man was shot by police, who said that the condition of those attacked and the perpetrator is not immediately known. Officials did not provide details about the identity of the suspect, who was taken to hospital.
Local police chief Jonas Lindell said “it seems the injuries are not life-threatening”, but could not provide further details.
The events took place in the center of Vetlanda, the police saying that they received calls immediately after 14:00 GMT about a man who attacked people with an ax. Police also said there are five crime scenes in this city of about 13,000.
Lofven condemned “this terrible act” and added that the Swedish internal security agency SAPO is also working on this case.
“They are continuously assessing whether there are grounds for taking measures to improve security and are prepared to do so if necessary,” he said in a statement.