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       Police stand guard at the scene of an attack at a high school, in Eslov, Sweden, on Aug. 19.

       Johan Nilsson/TT/The Associated Press

       A 15-year-old boy has been detained on suspicion of attempted murder after a school employee was seriously wounded in a knife attack in southern Sweden Thursday, police said.

       The Skanska Dagbladet newspaper said the attacker carried a long knife, wore a skeleton mask, a helmet and what looked like a bulletproof vest. Police declined to comment.

       Police spokeswoman Ewa-Gun Westford said the 45-year-old male victim was rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital. The boy was arrested outside the school. A police officer fired a weapon in connection with the arrest, Westford said.

       The incident happened in Eslov, 36 kilometers (22 miles) northeast of Malmo, Sweden’s third largest city. The motive for the attack was unclear, Westford said, adding it was not immediately clear whether the teenager is a student at the school.

       A nearby sports venue was used to gather the students and staff who were in the school building at the time of the incident.

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