Swedish Mass Shooting Victims Among Christians Who Fled Syria

Salim Skef, a Syrian refugee who fled to Sweden 10 years ago after Islamic State militants murdered his father, was killed this week by an unemployed Swedish man with no apparent ideological motive.

The victim was one of several members from Sweden’s Syriac-speaking communities that were affected by the attack at Orebro Adult Education Center in central Sweden on Tuesday. Eleven people, including the attacker, died in this attack, while many others were injured.

His fiancee had recently bought a house and he was planning to marry this summer.

“He had so many beautiful plans and so many beautiful dreams,” Jacob Kaselia, a friend of the family and priest at St. Mary’s church in Orebro, said after leading a memorial service for Iskef in front of about 400 people on Thursday. “All gone in a second.”

According to the head of Orebro’s Syriac Center, the Syriac-speaking Christian Community has around 200,000 members. 5,000 of these live in Orebro.

Two witnesses confirmed that they were there when the gunman opened fire before turning on himself.

Swedish police said that different nationalities and genders, as well as people of different ages, were injured or killed in this shooting. The names have not been revealed.

Risbergska Adult Education Center offers Swedish language courses and adult classes for immigrants. Police are investigating reports that an attacker at the school was responsible.

After Iskef was shot, he called his mother and fiancée to tell them that he loved them. That was the last they heard from him.

Kaselia stated, “His fiancée is destroyed. We are trying to help but it is really difficult. “

Iskef hails from Aleppo in Syria. During the civil war that began in 2011, jihadists associated with the Islamic State targeted a minority of Syriac-speaking people.

Sweden, although accustomed to gang violence, has not had school shootings on this scale before.

Merwa, Iskef’s friend who went to school with him every day, was shot by the gunman. Although she was not hurt, she tried to use the scarf of a friend to try to stop the blood from the man’s bullet that was shot in front of her.

She said, “We’re still shocked. We didn’t think this could have happened at school. I don’t think I will be returning to school.”

Police said they had not yet determined a motive for the shooting of Rickard Andersson.

“Why did he do this? What was in his brain? We don’t know,” said priest Kaselia. “I feel sorry for him. We must pray that the Lord forgives him.”