Latest news with #ErikAkerlund
Free Malaysia Today
08-05-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
Sweden arrests suspect after fatal triple shooting
Yesterday's shooting comes amid heightened nerves over gun violence in Sweden. (EPA Images pic) UPPSALA : Swedish police have arrested a suspect in a shooting that killed three young men at a hair salon, authorities said today, amid heightened nerves over gun violence in the Scandinavian nation. Yesterday's shooting took place in broad daylight, a day before the Valborg or Walpurgis spring festival which draws more than 100,000 people to the city for celebrations, many of them students. 'One person has been arrested suspected of murder,' police commander Erik Akerlund told a press conference a day after the shooting in the city of Uppsala, 60km north of Stockholm, that shocked Sweden. Swedish media reported that at least one of the dead had connections to organised gang crime, though police would not confirm those reports. The Scandinavian country has struggled for years to rein in shootings and bombings between rival gangs. Akerlund said several people 'considered of interest in the investigation' had been brought in for questioning.
eNCA
01-05-2025
- eNCA
Sweden arrests teen after triple killing
STOCKHOLM - Swedish police have arrested a teen suspect after three youths aged from 15 to 20 were killed in a shooting at a hair salon, with rising concern over gang violence in the Scandinavian nation. Tuesday's shooting took place in broad daylight in the university city of Uppsala, a day before it hosted the Valborg spring festival, which draws more than 100,000 people for bonfires and celebrations in the streets, many of them students. "One person has been arrested, suspected of murder," police commander Erik Akerlund told reporters, with prosecutors saying the suspect was 16. The teen had slipped away from a facility for troubled teens two weeks ago, according to prosecutors and local media. Swedish media reported that at least one of the dead had connections to a criminal gang, though police would not confirm those reports. "That is something we are obviously looking into, but we don't want to commit ourselves to only that" possibility, Uppsala police spokesman Stefan Larsson told AFP. Uppsala, about 70 kilometres north of Stockholm, is home base for Sweden's two most notorious gangs, Rumba and Foxtrot. Their leaders, Ismail Abdo and Rawa Majid, are both now believed to be orchestrating operations from abroad. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called the shooting "an extremely violent act". "It almost looks like an execution," he told news agency TT. Sweden has struggled for years to rein in shootings and bombings between rival gangs. Akerlund said several people "considered of interest in the investigation" had been brought in for questioning. He said police had obtained camera footage from the scene and "secured a lot of evidence". Prosecutor Andreas Nygren said the suspect was arrested at his home around two hours after the shooting, and that "more than 100 interrogations" had been held as of Wednesday morning.
New York Times
30-04-2025
- New York Times
Teenager Is Arrested on Suspicion of Murder After 3 Are Shot in Sweden
A 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder in Sweden, the authorities said on Wednesday, after three people were fatally shot the day before, in the latest blow to a country grappling with high levels of gun violence compared to its European peers. The three victims were found in a hair salon in the city of Uppsala, about 43 miles from Stockholm, the capital. They were between 15 and 20 years old, according to the police, but have not been publicly identified. The motive was unclear, but the police, which said they responded to reports of 'loud bangs' shortly after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, said they were investigating if the shooting had been gang-related. 'We can't say that it has a clear connection to any gang conflict at the moment, but it's one of the ideas that we are working particularly intensively on,' Erik Akerlund, head of the Uppsala police and of the special incident command, said at a news conference on Wednesday morning. The teenage suspect, who was not identified, had recently run away from a group home for children, Magnus Berggren, Uppsala's deputy chief prosecutor, said during a news conference later on Wednesday. Sweden's prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, condemned the shooting as 'a terrible act' and lamented that 'brutal and ruthless violence is once again shaking our country.' Despite its reputation for a high standard of living, Sweden has been plagued by one of the higher rates of gun violence in the European Union, and violent crime has been on the rise in recent years. The country experienced its worst mass shooting in February, when a man open fired on an adult education center, killing 10 people. Factors like the suspect's age indicate that the shooting may be connected to gangs, said Diamant Salihu, an investigative journalist for the Swedish public service broadcaster, SVT, and the author of two books about gang violence and criminal networks in Sweden. 'During the past decade, we have seen an escalation of deadly shootings,' Mr. Salihu said. 'More recently, the change is that there are very many young shooters who do it for payment and status,' he added. The shooting occurred ahead of the Walpurgis celebrations, where Swedes celebrate the beginning of spring with public bonfires. The police said there was no current danger to the public.
RTHK
30-04-2025
- RTHK
Sweden arrests teen after triple killing at hair salon
Sweden arrests teen after triple killing at hair salon Sweden has struggled for years to rein in shootings and bombings between rival gangs. Photo: AFP Swedish police have arrested a teen suspect after three youths aged from 15 to 20 were killed in a shooting at a hair salon, authorities said on Wednesday, with rising concern over gang violence in the Scandinavian nation. Tuesday's shooting took place in broad daylight in the university city of Uppsala, a day before it hosted the Valborg spring festival, which draws more than 100,000 people for bonfires and celebrations in the streets, many of them students. "One person has been arrested, suspected of murder," police commander Erik Akerlund told reporters, with prosecutors saying the suspect was 16. The teen had slipped away from a facility for troubled teens two weeks ago, according to prosecutors and local media. Swedish media reported that at least one of the dead had connections to a criminal gang, though police would not confirm those reports. "That is something we are obviously looking into, but we don't want to commit ourselves to only that possibility," Uppsala police spokesman Stefan Larsson said. Uppsala, about 70 kilometres north of Stockholm, is the home base for Sweden's two most notorious gangs, Rumba and Foxtrot. Their leaders, Ismail Abdo and Rawa Majid, are both now believed to be orchestrating operations from abroad. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called the shooting "an extremely violent act." "It almost looks like an execution," he told the news agency TT. Sweden has struggled for years to rein in shootings and bombings between rival gangs. Akerlund said several people "considered of interest in the investigation" had been brought in for questioning. He said police had obtained camera footage from the scene and "secured a lot of evidence." Prosecutor Andreas Nygren said the suspect was arrested at his home around two hours after the shooting, and that "more than 100 interrogations" had been held as of Wednesday morning. (AFP)
Muscat Daily
30-04-2025
- Muscat Daily
Sweden: Suspect arrested after three killed in Uppsala
Stockholm, Sweden – Swedish officials said they detained a 16-year-old suspect on Wednesday, following a shooting and killing of three people at a hair salon in the central-eastern city of Uppsala on Tuesday. The shooting took place in Uppsala's centre in broad daylight, one day before the city celebrates a spring 'Valborg' festival that traditionally draws some 100,000 visitors. According to police, the attack was carried out by a masked assailant, with media reporting he managed to make an escape while riding a scooter. Police questioning several 'One person has been arrested suspected of murder,' Swedish police commander Erik Akerlund said in a media briefing. Several people 'considered of interest in the investigation' had been brought in for questioning, Akerlund added. At least one of the killed had connections to organised gang crime, according to Swedish media, although the police have not confirmed the reports yet. According to the police, the shooting incident was 'an isolated event', not linked to Valborg night celebrations. Motive remains unclear There was no information to suggest the incident was a terrorist attack or a hate crime, local police said, adding a homicide investigation has been launched. The victims are yet to be identified, according to police, with several media in the country reporting the shooting took place next to a hair salon. Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said his ministry is in close contact with law enforcement authorities. 'A brutal act of violence has occurred in central Uppsala,' Strommer said in a statement, also calling the incident 'extremely serious'. Sweden has seen a wave of gang-related violence in the past decade, with many of the crimes being committed with guns, with the perpetrators often being under the age of 15, the age of criminal responsibility in Sweden. Police did not say whether the Tuesday shooting was an instance of gang violence. The country experienced its deadliest-ever mass shooting in February as a 35-year-old lone gunman opened fire at an adult education centre in the city of Orebro, killing ten people. Earlier this month, two people were killed in a gang battle in Sweden's second-most populous city of Gothenburg. DW
