At least three people have been killed in a shooting in the Swedish city of Uppsala, police say.
In a statement on Tuesday, police said they had received calls from members of the public who heard noises that sounded like gunshots being fired near Vaksala Square in the centre of the city, about 60km (37 miles) north of the capital Stockholm.
Emergency services were on the scene and a murder investigation has been launched, police added.
Sweden’s public television station SVT said the suspect had fled on a scooter.
Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said his ministry was in close contact with police and was closely monitoring developments in the case.
“A brutal act of violence has occurred in central Uppsala … This is at the same time as the whole of Uppsala has begun Walpurgis Night,” Strommer said in a statement, referring to a traditional holiday celebrated on April 30 in northern Europe and Scandinavia.
“What has happened is extremely serious,” he added.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear, and there was no immediate indication of motive.
Police also did not provide any details about the alleged perpetrator.
Al Jazeera’s Paul Rhys, reporting from Uppsala, said the residential neighbourhood was crowded due to the festivities when between five to eight shots were fired, according to witnesses.
The shooting happened at a hair salon, which may indicate a targeted killing, Rhys said.
The Nordic country has suffered from a wave of gang-related violence for more than a decade that has included an epidemic of gun violence.
A right-wing minority government came to power in 2022 on a promise to tackle gang-related violence.
In February, 10 people were killed in the city of Orebro in Sweden’s deadliest ever mass shooting, which saw a 35-year-old unemployed loner open fire on students and teachers at an adult education centre.
Uppsala is the fourth-largest city in Sweden with a population of about 230,000 people.
