Nine-year-old Emma Larsson knew the murdered boy.
Now she lays flowers and lights candles in his memory outside the house where he and his mother were found dead on Tuesday.
– It says “rest in peace” and “you were always the funnest and kindest person”, says Emma about her candles.
The article in brief
Emma, 9, mourns her friend after the double murder in Hörby.
Children and adults lay flowers and light candles outside the family’s house.
The school chose not to gather the children to tell them what happened
It’s a heavy day in Hörby.
A mother and a son have died and the grief characterizes the small community. Outside the family’s terraced house, a sea of flowers and light has begun to spread. There are roses and teddy bears, grave candles and wreaths.
One who lit candles and laid flowers is Emma Larsson. She is here with her mother Stéphanie Larsson, little brother, aunt and cousins. They all knew the boy.
– I’m not feeling so well today, says Emma.
She found out what happened because she passes the boy’s house every day on her way to school. On Tuesday there were police cordons and closed blinds.
– They were the kindest people in the world. Both the mother and him. They had two cats, orange and white, one was mischievous and one was kind, says Emma.
Emma visited the memorial together with her mother Stéphanie Larsson.
Photo: JENS CHRISTIAN
“So terrible”
Emma and her family live just a couple of houses away. They see the suspected crime scene from their window.
– He went to the same kindergarten as my sister’s children, they have known each other almost all their lives. And we have met them, the family was active. Hörby is so small that way, says mother Stéphanie.
When she gets a picture on her mobile phone with all the children wearing Kalvinknatet t-shirts, it breaks.
– It’s just so terrible.
When Emma came to school on Wednesday, the flag was flying at half mast. But the school chose not to gather the children and talk to them about what happened.
– I think that was bad. Nobody said anything, we didn’t observe a moment of silence.
Stéphanie says the school’s strategy was to be responsive to the children and talk to the children who wanted to talk and answer the questions that came from the students, but she questions whether that was the best way to handle it.
– Children have so many questions, now they were met by a flag at half-mast, so they understand that something has happened but everyone may not have received any information at all.
And it is clear that the suspected double murder arouses a lot of thought in Emma. Who could possibly do this? Why then? Last night she had trouble sleeping.
– Yes, it was difficult to fall asleep. We’ll see how it goes tonight, she says.
