He was understood to be the injured children’s father.
The incident, which happened on June 13 at a villa near the small town of Alvesta, was being treated as a double attempted murder according to Swedish media reports.
Court documents also show his ex-wife had filed for divorce after a two-year separation last year but he had unsuccessfully attempted to contest this action in two higher courts.
A spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the government department is in contact with the family of a New Zealand citizen.
Kiwi man Maui Koopu lived in the village of Lekaryd in Alvesta, Sweden.
According to local media, the children’s mother had warned social services just days before the tragedy that Koopu had behaved aggressively.
In March last year, police began looking into allegations that Koopu had abused his former wife, but that investigation closed after one month, Swedish newspaper Smalandsposten reported.
Case papers with the Vaxjo District Court in Sweden showed his wife filed for divorce in June. Koopu twice appealed the application – once in August to the Court of Appeal, then again to the Supreme Court in December. He was denied both requests.
The couple’s divorce was reportedly finalised last Thursday, just two days before the attack. The divorce papers confirmed the couple had been living apart for more than two years, which met the criteria for a granting a divorce judgement.
Neither parent requested dissolution of the joint custody of the children.
The family’s home in Lekaryd was built by Maui Koopu. Photo / Google Maps
A spokesperson with the Municipal Council of Alvesta told the Herald the matter was “currently being investigated by the police”.
“This tragic event has naturally affected the community deeply. Alvesta is a small municipality where many people know one another, and we are all saddened by what has happened.
“The municipality, together with the local church, has activated crisis support services and is currently providing support to family members, friends and residents affected by this incident.
“Our thoughts remain with everyone impacted during this difficult time.”
Swedish police confirmed the man and girls knew each other but would not comment on their identity as it was an active investigation.
No one else had been sought in relation to the shooting.
In an earlier article by local newspaper Smalandsposten it was reported the Koopus lived in New Zealand for 12 years before moving to the wife’s home village of Lekaryd in 2013, a couple of years after the birth of their first child.
Koopu claimed they would benefit from being closer to family and would have the opportunity to build their own home. It was reported he was a contractor who built their Sweden family home by hand.
Smalandsposten said when a 4000 square metre plot of land nearby the wife’s childhood home became available, the couple took the leap.
Koopu said he worked 14 hours a day, seven days a week for over a year to complete the grand family home in 2018.
The home was described in the article as a fairy-tale, turn-of-the-century-style home with stark differences to most homes in the area.