Uppsala mass shooting: Three killed by man on electric scooter gun rampage

Three people have been killed in a horror that broke out at a hair salon in Sweden - with police still hunting down the perpetrator who fled the scene on an .

Officers said they recieved multiple calls from terrified members of the public reporting loud bangs close to a train station near Vaksala Square in Uppsala just after 5pm on Tuesday afternoon. A major operation has since been activated, with a helicopter circling the scene and cordons in place around Hjalmar Brantingsgatan - a main street in central Uppsala - near Vaksalatorget. At 7:25pm, Swedish Police confirmed three people had died whilst several were injured, but an exact number of casualties is yet to be confirmed by authorities. "Everything happened so fast. It just went bang, bang, bang," a witness told Swedish channel TV4.

The area remains cordoned off and an investigation into the incident is underway. The shooting happened on the eve of Sweden's Walpurgis spring festival - a Christian and pagan celebration, involving bonfires and spring songs which attracts large crowds onto the streets. In some regions, like Germany, Walpurgis Night also includes traditions like dressing in costumes and playing pranks.

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The Swedish Administration halted for some time due to the ongoing police operation, and the perpetrator is still at the centre of a widescale manhunt. Local resident Henrik Envall, who runs a record store nearby, told Swedish news outlet Exressen that he saw the barriers when he was about to close his store. "To be honest, you start to get used to it, but it's not pleasant at all", he said. Another unnamed witness said: "I heard three shots". A third added: "I heard several shots and saw people running into the street."

In a statement released shortly after 6pm local time, Swedish Police said they recieved "several calls about loud bangs" and arrived to find multiple people injured, but added they could not provide any further details about the extent of the injuries. The force said: "The police are receiving calls from members of the public who have reportedly heard loud bangs reminiscent of gunfire in close proximity to Vaksala Square in central Uppsala.

"Several people were found with injuries that indicate gunshot wounds. The police are currently unable to provide any further information about the extent of the injuries. The police have cordoned off a large area and several investigative measures are underway at the scene." Police spokesman Magnus Klarin added: "We are searching for injured people in the area after receiving several reports of explosions heard by people in the area. That's what we can say at the moment."

Images from the scene show officers patrolling the city with a number of police vehicles on scene and cordons blocking off major roads as part of their investigation.