A large police operation began on Friday evening at the University of Gothenburg after reports of loud bangs inside a building. It turned out to be balloons popping during an alcohol-free freshman event. No one was injured, and no crime was found.
On Friday evening around 6 p.m., police were alerted to the Pedagogen building at the University of Gothenburg in central Gothenburg after reports of several loud bangs from inside. Multiple police patrols and eight ambulances were dispatched to the scene near Grönsakstorget. The building was evacuated and searched by the special operations unit.
Two students inside the building described to Göteborgs-Posten hearing screams and bangs that sounded like gunshots. “We heard screams several times and like shots. We just hid, did the best we could,” they said.
By 7 p.m., police announced that the entire building had been searched and that no personal injuries or material damage were found. “An intensive search of the building has been ongoing, and the entire building is now searched. Currently, there are no reports of injuries, and we are still investigating what might have exploded,” police wrote on their website.
According to reports from Göteborgs-Posten and SVT, it involved balloons popping during an alcohol-free freshman event. A person involved in the event explained: “We had a game where you pop balloons, an alcohol-free event, and we didn’t think it would be a problem. We had informed those nearby. It was probably someone who mistook it for gunfire, and it’s important that police respond and check out what’s happening.”
Police spokesperson Jennifer Last confirmed there is no crime classification at present and that the investigation continues to clarify the incident. Johan Magnusson, team leader at SOS Alarm, stated that no one needed to be taken to the hospital.
