Salim Iskef, 29, fled the Islamic State and Syria to form a better, more secure life in Sweden, only to be gunned down this week in the worst mass-shooting in Swedish history.

The police responding to the attack encountered firing so intense that they struggled to tell how many gunmen were on the scene, an official said.

Sweden is reeling from the country's deadliest mass shooting this week as investigators continue to look into the gunman's motive.