HELSINKI -- Three individuals were killed in a shooting in the central Swedish town of Uppsala on Tuesday, with many witnesses present at the scene, Swedish media reported.

Police confirmed at 7:25 pm (1725 GMT) on their website that the incident is being investigated as a murder.

The shooting occurred near the Vaksala market area in downtown Uppsala. The suspect fled the scene. Police have cordoned off a large area, and railroad services from Uppsala were temporarily suspended but later resumed, according to Swedish Television (SVT).

Swedish Minister for Justice Gunnar Strommer described the incident as "a brutal act of violence."

The shooting was witnessed by many, as large crowds had gathered in the town in preparation for the First of May celebrations, a major festival in the country, police told Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter (DN). "We are trying to get a grasp of what has happened. This is a serious event and we are working with full force," a police spokesman said.

Some witnesses told DN that the shooting took place inside a hairdressing salon, adding that they saw a person escape on an electric bicycle, with face covered.

Violent crime has increased in Sweden in recent years. Police statistics show that between January and March this year, there were 50 separate shooting incidents across the country, resulting in 19 deaths and 10 injuries. A year earlier, there were only eight such cases.