The Associated Press
STOCKHOLM, Sweden — A 76-year-old man was shot by police in southern Sweden Saturday morning during an all-standoff at his house after he randomly fired hunting rifles at his surroundings, police said.
The man started shooting from his house late Friday night, and then fired rounds at police for several hours, before being shot in the stomach at around 3 a.m., police spokeswoman Eva-Gun Westford said.
The man remained conscious, and the standoff continued until around 7 a.m., when police fired tear gas into his house and stormed it, arresting the man in his attic, Westford said.
“He was well enough to fight back in full force and resist the arrest,” she said, adding he was being treated at a nearby hospital.
None of the about 30 police officers called to the house was injured during the shooting, which took place in Bjarnum, a small town in the southernmost part of Sweden.
The man, who was not identified, was a known hunter but had no previous police record, Westford said.
“We think this was brought on by some sort of mental collapse,” she said.
Neighbors told Swedish tabloids that the 76-year-old was upset about a new heating plant being built near his house, and started shooting at it around 10 p.m. Friday night.
He then opened fire at the police called to his house, and kept shooting throughout the night, Westford said.
“Every 10 minutes he came out firing, and shot directly at the police,” she said.