A Second Arrest Has Been Made In Relation To This Month's Stockholm Attack

Swedish police say they have arrested a second suspect following the April 11 Stockholm attack.

In a statement issued on Monday, police said the person had been detained on Sunday, and a prosecutor has until Wednesday to decide whether they can remain in custody or not.

No further information has been given. The suspected driver of the vehicle who killed four people when he rammed into a crowded shopping street earlier this month — an Uzbek national named by police as Rakhmat Akilov — is already in custody.

— Francis Whittaker

Ebba Åkerlund, 11, was walking home from school when she was killed in last week's terror attack.

Her parents released a photo and statement to local media thanking the Swedish people for their support.

"With all our heart we thank the Swedish people for all the warmth and love you have given us in a time of despair and pain," the statement said.

"We now need peace and quiet to process our grief and ask for your understanding that we need to do it in peace."

The other victims of the attack were Swedish woman Lena Wahlberg, 69, British man Chris Bevington, 41, and Maïlys Dereymaeker, 31, from Belgium.

—Alicia Melville-Smith

Stockholm truck attack suspect confesses to "terrorist crime," his lawyer says

The 39-year-old Uzbek man arrested in connection with last week's attack has confessed to committing a "terrorist crime," his lawyer has said.

Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that suspect Rakhmat Akilov appeared before the District Court of Stockholm at about 10am Tuesday.

Akilov's lawyer Johan Eriksson told the court his client's position was "that he admits to a terrorist crime and accepts therefore that he will be detained."

Belgian victim identified as 31-year-old woman from city of Halle

Lembeek Mayor Dirk Pieters said the Belgian victim of the truck attack was a 31-year-old woman who was living in the Lembeek area of the city of Halle.

Pieters told the Belga news agency: "I met her several times. I know her parents very well. They are very nice people who have lived in Halle for a long time."

"I'm shocked after each attack, but when you put a face on a victim and personally know her parents, it's even worse," he added.

The Belgian victim's name has not been released. The identity of the two Swedish victims have also yet to be released.

—Alicia Melville-Smith

The British man killed in the Stockholm lorry attack has been named as 41-year-old Chris Bevington.

He was described as a "wonderful husband, son, father, brother and close friend to many." The streaming service Spotify has identified him as an employee.

In a statement released by the Foreign Office, the victim's father John said: "We are all devastated by the untimely and tragic death of our talented, compassionate and caring son Chris."

—Fiona Rutherford

Read more here.

Attack suspect was failed asylum-seeker wanted for deportation

Swedish authorities have said the 39-year-old Uzbek man arrested in connection with Friday's attack was an asylum-seeker who had had his application rejected.

During a press conference on Sunday, police said the suspect was sympathetic to extremist groups and had been being sought by authorities for deportation after request for asylum was rejected in June 2016. He had eluded police by providing a false address. Police have refused to name the suspect.

A second man has been arrested for "crimes against the nation" and a further four people are being held in connection with truck attack, police said. 500 people have been questioned, police added.

—Alicia Melville-Smith

A British national, a Belgian woman, and two Swedish citizens have been identified as those killed in Friday's attack.

Swedish police confirmed Sunday morning that a British national had died in the incident. And Belgium's foreign minister said on Twitter that a Belgian woman was also among those killed. The other two victims were Swedish, authorities confirmed in a press conference on Sunday. Their names have not been released.

Meanwhile, of the 15 people injured in the attack 10 remain in hospital, including one child.

Health services spokesperson Patrik Soderberg said in a statement that four of the 10 are considered to be "seriously" injured and the remaining six, including the child, are slightly injured.

—Alicia Melville-Smith

Truck attack suspect is 39-year-old Uzbekistan native who was known to security services

Sweden's prosecutor has confirmed that the truck attack suspect arrested Saturday is a 39-year-old native of Uzbekistan.

The prosecutor added that the suspect has not spoken since being taken into custody, the Associated Press reported.

And the head of Sweden's domestic intelligence agency Anders Thornberg said "the suspect didn't appear in our recent files but he earlier has been in our files."

He added the security services are working with other nations' security agencies on the matter, but would not comment further.

Also speaking on Saturday, Dan Eliason, head of Sweden's National Police, told a news conference police had found an object in the truck that "could be a bomb or an incendiary object, we are still investigating it."

—Alicia Melville-Smith

Swedish police say they have arrested a man who is "likely" the driver of the beer truck which plowed into the group of pedestrians and killed at least four people on Friday.

But police spokesman Lars Bystrom declined to comment on Swedish media reports that the arrested person was a 39-year-old man from Uzbekistan, the Associated Press reported.

Bystrom would not confirm or deny media reports that police had found a bag containing explosives in the truck. "We do not comment on what we have seized," he said.

Meanwhile, five of the 15 people injured in Friday's truck attack have been released from Stockholm's Karolinska hospital, the health service has said

The health service said four of the remaining 10 people in hospital were seriously injured, two were in intensive care, and one child was not seriously injured.

—Alicia Melville-Smith

Swedish authorities arrest a man for a "terrorist crime"

Swedish police said early Saturday that a man detained in connection with the Stockholm truck attack has been arrested for a "terrorist crime."

The man was arrested "on suspicion of a terrorist crime through murder," Karin Rosander, a communications director at the Swedish Prosecution Authority, told AFP.

The man was taken into custody Friday after matching the description of a suspect in a photo released by police. Authorities have not confirmed whether he was the driver of the truck.

World leaders condemned the attack, and expressed solidarity with the people of Sweden

As Swedish police continued to investigate the truck attack that left at least four people dead in Stockholm Friday, politicians across the continent reacted with outrage and sadness.

"One of Europe's most vibrant and colorful cities appears to have been struck by those wishing it — and our very way of life — harm," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in a statement. "An attack on any of our Member States is an attack on us all."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country is reeling from Tuesday's terrorist attack in St. Petersburg, directed his condolences to the king of Sweden.

"People in our country have first-hand knowledge of the atrocities committed by international terrorism," Putin said in a statement. "At this hour of grieving the Russians are mourning together with the Swedish people."

London Mayor Sadiq Khan reacted with horror, noting in a Facebook message that "Londoners know how it feels to suffer from senseless and cowardly terrorism"

"The full details are still emerging, but once again it looks like we have seen a despicable act of terrorism aimed at harming innocent people and attacking our shared values of democracy, freedom, justice and tolerance," Khan wrote.

"We will never be cowed by terrorism," Khan added, "and today, London stands united with Stockholm and Londoners stand with the people of Stockholm."

French President François Hollande expressed his "fear and indignation" after the attack, adding in a statement that "the relentless fight against terrorism must be a priority" for Europe.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also expressed her condolences, writing on Twitter that "we stand together against terror."

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said that he was "deeply concerned by the shocking incident."

President of the European Council Donald Tusk also tweeted a statement, saying that his "thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families."

French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron, an independent, tweeted that "all my thoughts and my solidarity are with the Swedish people." He added that, "Europe must stand united in the face of terror."

French National Front leader and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen tweeted her "full solidarity with the Swedish people affected by a heinous probably Islamist attack."

It was the second time this week that the Eiffel Tower turned off its lights in the wake of a suspected terrorist attack. The monument also went dark Tuesday after a subway explosion in St. Petersburg, Russia, that killed 14 people.

On Twitter Friday, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced the tribute, and expressed her condolences to the people of Sweden.

—Grace Wyler

The Swedish government has introduced new border controls in response to the suspected terrorist attack in Stockholm Friday.

Police said Friday that they would heighten monitoring at the Sweden's border exit and entry points "to ensure that an offender cannot leave the country." The checks apply to all foreign travelers, even citizens of the European Union and other Nordic countries, according to a statement.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven told reporters that the border controls would take effect immediately.

In a related development, Norwegian police tweeted Friday that officers in major cities and at the airport in Oslo would take the unusual step of carrying firearms in response to the Stockholm attack.

Politiet i de største byene og ved Oslo lufthavn Gardermoen har besluttet midlertidig bevæpning inntil videre. https://t.co/1m1WkJaJHg

— Politidirektoratet (@Politidir) April 7, 2017

—Grace Wyler

The US State Department strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Stockholm and extended condolences to the families of victims.

"Attacks like this are intended to sow the seeds of fear, but in fact they only strengthen our shared resolve to combat terrorism around the world," it said in a statement Friday. "The United States and Sweden are committed partners in this fight, and we stand ready to offer ant assistance Sweden might require in investigating this brutal and senseless attack."

—Jon Passantino

Sweden's prime minister says his entire country is in mourning after four people were killed in a truck attack on a popular Stockholm shopping street on Friday.

Border controls have been tightened following the incident, which Prime Minister Stefan Löfven described as a terrorist attack.

"The goal of terrorism is to undermine democracy, but such acts will never be successful in Sweden," he said.

Earlier, police told reporters that a man arrested in Marsta, a northern Stockholm suburb, following the incident had been seen behaving suspiciously near the attack site.

They said he matched photos of a man whose image was released to the public by authorities as part of an appeal for information.

Police declined to release the man's identity or nationality.

"We have a working hypothesis this is an act of terror," said Stefan Hector of the country's national police force.

—David Mack

Swedish police have announced a fourth person has died following Friday's truck attack, the Associated Press reported.

Some 15 others have been wounded, authorities said.

Police also said one person "that can have some kind of connection" to the attack was arrested, the AP reported.

It is not clear, however, if the person detained is the man whose image was released as part of an appeal for information.

—David Mack

Authorities in the Swedish capital now say three people are known to have died and at least 15 others were injured after a truck attack in downtown Stockholm.

After police initially said at least two people had died in the afternoon attack, the Stockholm County Council said in a statement that another person had subsequently died in hospital.

Of the 15 injured adults and children, nine were said to be in a critical condition.

"My thoughts are with all those affected," said Johan Bratt, the county's chief medical officer. "We are fully focused on the work required to care for injured and affected, and we are working in tandem with other authorities."

—David Mack

Disturbing video shared on Twitter by Swedish newspaper Expressen shows the moment a truck plowed down a major pedestrian street in Stockholm on Friday, leaving multiple people dead and injured.

In the CCTV footage, which does not show the vehicle striking any people, shoppers can be seen strolling along the Drottninggatan street, before suddenly fleeing the oncoming truck.

The vehicle can then be seen careening quickly through the frame at high speed.

At least two people are known to have died in what authorities have described as a terrorist attack.

—David Mack

Sweden's king releases statement

"It is with dismay the Royal Family and I have been informed of the attack in Stockholm this afternoon," King Carl XVI Gustaf said in a statement.

"The background and full extent of the incident is not yet known.

"We are closely following the developments but our thoughts are already now with the victims and their families," he said.

—David Mack

Swedish authorities on Friday released an image of a man they are seeking after a deadly truck attack in downtown Stockholm.

A picture of the man taken on Friday shows him wearing a khaki jacket with a hood that covers his head.

Police told reporters at a press conference they were still unable to provide an exact number of dead or injured, but they have previously said at least two people were killed.

The authorities reiterated that no one had yet been arrested in connection with the attack.

Swedish Security Service chief Anders Thornberg said there was no prior indication an attack was imminent.

"We will turn over every stone to find out those behind this," he said.

Citizens were urged to stay home and avoid central Stockholm due to the increased risk of a subsequent attack.

"We do not know if this is an isolated incident or if we can expect anything more," said National Police Commissioner Dan Eliasson.

—David Mack

The brewery which owns the truck used in Friday's attack in Stockholm have told Swedish media the vehicle was hijacked.

Mårten Lyth, the communications director of Spendrups brewery, said the truck had been stolen during a restaurant delivery earlier in the day, according to Aftonbladet.

Lyth said the driver was about to unload when the vehicle was taken. He added the driver was unharmed, but in a state of shock and currently talking to police.

— Francis Whittaker

Stockholm police say no arrests have been made

Stockholm police have issued an update saying they have yet to make any arrests in relation to Friday's attack.

Earlier reports had suggested an arrest had been made, and video circulated on social media purporting to be of a person being apprehended.

— Francis Whittaker

Witnesses, speaking to local media, said they had seen people on the ground after the truck crashed.

Photographs from the scene also showed a number of people injured.

"There is total confusion, I do not know how many are injured, many people are totally shocked," Leif Arnmar, who works in Ahlens department store, told Swedish national broadcaster SVT.

"We were in a store, it crashed into a window a few meters away," another person told the Swedish broadcaster SVT, in a translation provided by The Guardian. "I heard glass breaking and screams. There are a lot of police and people everywhere."

An eyewitness identified as Anna, speaking to the Aftonbladet newspaper, said: "I saw hundreds of people running. They ran for their lives — I turned and ran as well."

Another called Durde, also speaking to Aftonbladet said: "The lorry just drove, full speed ahead, down Drottninggatan."

Jan Granroth, who was shopping in the area, added: "We were inside a shoe store and heard noise. I looked out from the store to see this huge truck slam into the wall on the opposite side of the street."

—  Francis Whittaker and Rose Troup Buchanan

Stockholm's central station evacuated

The central train station in Stockholm has been evacuated.

"Following today's event, the police decided to evacuate the Central Station from approximately 16:15," the statement on the website read. "We are awaiting further information from the police."

Armed police were photographed entering the station, according to Expressen.

It comes shortly after police shut down all train travel into the city, and urged Swedes to stay at home and avoid the centre of Stockholm.

–Rose Troup Buchanan

All indications are that the truck crash in downtown Stockholm on Friday morning is an act of terrorism, Sweden's prime minister has said, adding that at least two people are known to have died.

"We have been attacked," said Prime Minister Stefan Löfven in remarks reported by Expressen and Aftonbladet.

Löfven said he had been informed by security officials that two people were confirmed dead.

He urged the public to be alert and heed police advice.

"Our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones and the injured," he said.

One person was said to have been arrested after the attack. —David Mack

Counter-terrorism officials in Sweden have called Friday's truck crash in Stockholm an attack.

In a statement on their website, the Swedish Security Service said they were "conducting intensive intelligence work to identify the person or persons behind the attack."

"There is a large number of wounded," the statement read. "The Security Service is assisting the Police Department in the investigation underway."

—David Mack

— Francis Whittaker and Laura Gallant

Police confirm truck incident and injuries

A truck has crashed into pedestrians in a busy shopping district in the Swedish capital, Stockholm.

In a statement, Swedish police confirmed people had been injured in an incident involving a truck in Drottninggatan street. The statement did not say how many people may have been hurt in the incident.

Drottninggatan is a large pedestrianized area in the centre of the capital city of Stockholm, popular with tourists.

A video posted on Twitter, apparently from a building near that street, shortly after 2pm GMT showed crowds running in panic.

–Rose Troup Buchanan