The 26-year-old man charged with the murder of ambulance worker Helena Löfgren in Harmånger called SOS himself for help, but also mentioned prior threatening behavior. Despite this, no police were sent with the ambulance, leading to the tragic attack. New details emerge from the emergency call and his psychiatric visit.
In the emergency call to SOS, the 26-year-old man described his situation and mentioned that days earlier he had been threatening toward ambulance staff, leading to police intervention. The call was previously described as 'calm and undramatic' by the ambulance chief, but no police were dispatched to the scene. 'A catastrophic mistake,' says Luis Monroy, safety representative at the ambulance service.
The ambulance carrying Helena Löfgren and her colleague was sent to the man's address in Harmånger. The colleague later told police how they assessed the situation en route: 'We read about the alarm and note that SOS has assessed no police needed on site, and it states he is alone in the apartment, he called himself. He shows no signs of being outwardly aggressive. So we think SOS made a correct assessment.'
Upon arrival, they placed a foot in the door as a safety measure, but the man opened calmly. Suddenly, he raised his right hand with a silver-colored knife and attacked. Helena Löfgren was stabbed and died later in hospital, while the colleague escaped unharmed. Bystanders, firefighters, and police came to their aid.
The threatening incident the man mentioned was a baseball bat attack on another ambulance worker days earlier. Before the incident, the man visited psychiatry, where he asked staff: 'Must one become a serial killer to get attention?' He was discharged as he did not meet criteria for compulsory care, according to the doctor. Forensic medicine assesses that he suffered no serious mental disorder during the attack.
SOS Alarm refers to ongoing investigations and does not comment on why no police were sent. Region Gävleborg emphasizes in an email that they take workplace issues very seriously and are cooperating with authorities to enhance safety.