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New Straits Times
30-04-2025
- New Straits Times
Swedish police arrest teen after deadly shooting
UPPSALA, Sweden: 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 Wednesday, amid rising concern over gang violence in the Scandinavian nation. Tuesday's shooting took place in broad daylight a day before the Valborg spring festival in the university city of Uppsala, which draws more than 100,000 people for bonfires and celebrations, many of them students. "One person has been arrested suspected of murder," police commander Erik Akerlund told reporters Wednesday, with prosecutors saying the suspect was 16. Swedish media reported that at least one of the dead had connections to a crime 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 is home base for Sweden's two most notorious gang leaders, Ismael Abdo and Rawa Majid, who are both believed to be orchestrating operations from abroad. 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. He said police had obtained camera footage from the scene and "secured a lot of evidence." Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer has called the killings "extremely serious", while Uppsala's mayor Erik Pelling told AFP he was "shocked and dismayed" by events. "I am also angry that it could happen," he added. "We are forced to live with these crimes. I am frustrated that we have not been able to tackle this problem more effectively," Pelling said. Sweden has struggled for years to rein in gang shootings and bombings. On Sunday, a mother and her young child were severely injured when a homemade bomb tore through their home, media reported, adding that a neighbour suspected of ties to criminal gangs had been the real target. Earlier this month, two people were killed in a suspected gang fight in Gothenburg, while a renowned rapper was shot dead in a gang battle in the city last year. Perpetrators are often young teens hired as contract killers because they are under 15, the age of criminal responsibility in Sweden. The number of reported gang deaths fell last year however. In the country of 10.6 million people, 92 killings were recorded in 2024, 29 fewer than 2023 – the lowest level since 2014, according to official data. There were also 296 reported shootings, down a fifth on the year before, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Bra). Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's centre-right minority government, which is backed in parliament by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, came to power in 2022 with a vow to get tough on crime. Sweden was also rocked by its worst mass shooting in February when 35-year-old Rickard Andersson entered the Campus Risbergska adult education centre in the city of Orebro and shot dead 10 people before turning the gun on himself.--AFP
CNA
29-04-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Sweden gun attack leaves three dead
GANG VIOLENCE The shooting came a day before Uppsala holds the Valborg festival to mark the start of spring. While police sealed off the streets around the hair salon - and a drone flew overhead - they sought to reassure the huge number of visitors expected. "People should not be afraid to come tomorrow," Klarin said. "There are 100,000 to 150,000 people expected in Uppsala for Valborg tomorrow, and there are already a whole lot here today." On Feb 4, the country was rocked by its worst mass shooting when 35-year-old Rickard Andersson entered the Campus Risbergska adult education centre in the city of Orebro and shot dead 10 people before turning the gun on himself. But the Nordic country has struggled in recent years to rein in shootings and bombings linked to score-settling between rival gangs. Earlier this month, two people were killed in suspected gang violence in Gothenburg. A renowned rapper was shot dead in a gang battle in Gothenburg last year. Perpetrators are often young teens who are hired as contract killers because they are under 15, the age of criminal responsibility in Sweden. The number of reported gang deaths fell in 2024 however. In the country of 10.6 million people, 92 cases of deadly violence were recorded in 2024, 29 fewer than 2023, and the lowest level since 2014, according to official data. There were 296 reported shooting cases in 2024, a 20 per cent decrease from the year before, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Bra). Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's centre-right minority government, which is backed in parliament by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, came to power in 2022 with a vow to get tough on crime.
NZ Herald
29-04-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Three dead after shootout in hair salon in Sweden
'We have three people confirmed dead, but we have not confirmed their identities yet,' police spokesman Magnus Jansson Klarin told AFP. 'We received reports of a masked person on an electric scooter, we are looking into those reports.' Swedish media said witnesses heard several shots at a hair salon in the centre of the city. 'It's normally a quiet neighbourhood, I do my shopping here every day,' Elias Sundgren, a student at the local university, told AFP. Gang violence The shooting came a day before Uppsala holds the Valborg festival to mark the start of spring. While police sealed off the streets around the hair salon — and a drone flew overhead — they sought to reassure the huge number of visitors expected. 'People should not be afraid to come tomorrow,' Klarin said. 'There are 100,000 to 150,000 people expected in Uppsala for Valborg tomorrow, and there are already a whole lot here today.' On February 4, the country was rocked by its worst mass shooting when 35-year-old Rickard Andersson entered the Campus Risbergska adult education centre in the city of Orebro and shot dead 10 people before turning the gun on himself. But the Nordic country has struggled for years to rein in shootings and bombings linked to score-settling between rival gangs. Perpetrators are often young teens who are hired as contract killers because they are under 15, the age of criminal responsibility in Sweden. The number of reported gang deaths fell in 2024, however. In the country of 10.6 million people, 92 cases of deadly violence were recorded in 2024, 29 fewer than 2023, and the lowest level since 2014, according to official data. There were 296 reported shooting cases in 2024, a 20% decrease from the year before, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Bra). Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's centre-right minority government, which is backed in parliament by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, came to power in 2022 with a vow to get tough on crime.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Sweden gun attack leaves three dead
A shootout at a Swedish hair salon Tuesday left at least three people dead in an eruption of violence that has heightened nerves over gun violence in the Scandinavian nation, police and media reports said. The shooting erupted in the centre of Uppsala a day before a spring festival which draws more than 100,000 people to the city some 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of Stockholm. Police, who confirmed three dead, said attack was staged by a masked gunman. Media reports said he escaped on a scooter after the early evening shootout. Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer called the killings "extremely serious" but police would not say if it was the latest episode in a long running war between gangs. Sweden is also still recovering from its worst mass shooting in February. "We have three people confirmed dead, but we have not confirmed their identities yet," police spokesman Magnus Jansson Klarin told AFP. "We received reports of a masked person on an electric scooter, we are looking into those reports," he said. Swedish media said witnesses heard several shots at a hair salon in the centre of the city. "It's normally a quiet neighbourhood, I do my shopping here every day," Elias Sundgren, a student at the local university, told AFP. - Gang violence - The shooting came a day before Uppsala holds the Valborg festival to mark the start of spring. While police sealed off the streets around the hair salon -- and a drone flew oveerhead -- they sought to reassure the huge number of visitors expected. "People should not be afraid to come tomorrow," Klarin said. "There are 100,000 to 150,000 people expected in Uppsala for Valborg tomorrow, and there are already a whole lot here today." On February 4, the country was rocked by its worst mass shooting when 35-year-old Rickard Andersson entered the Campus Risbergska adult education centre in the city of Orebro and shot dead 10 people before turning the gun on himself. But the Nordic country has struggled for years to rein in shootings and bombings linked to score-settling between rival gangs. Perpetrators are often young teens who are hired as contract killers because they are under 15, the age of criminal responsibility in Sweden. The number of reported gang deaths fell in 2024 however. In the country of 10.6 million people, 92 cases of deadly violence were recorded in 2024, 29 fewer than 2023, and the lowest level since 2014, according to official data. There were 296 reported shooting cases in 2024, a 20 percent decrease from the year before, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Bra). Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's centre-right minority government, which is backed in parliament by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, came to power in 2022 with a vow to get tough on crime. ef/jll/yad/tw
France 24
29-04-2025
- France 24
Sweden gun attack leaves three dead
The shooting erupted in the centre of Uppsala a day before a spring festival which draws more than 100,000 people to the city some 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of Stockholm. Police, who confirmed three dead, said attack was staged by a masked gunman. Media reports said he escaped on a scooter after the early evening shootout. Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer called the killings "extremely serious" but police would not say if it was the latest episode in a long running war between gangs. Sweden is also still recovering from its worst mass shooting in February. "We have three people confirmed dead, but we have not confirmed their identities yet," police spokesman Magnus Jansson Klarin told AFP. "We received reports of a masked person on an electric scooter, we are looking into those reports," he said. Swedish media said witnesses heard several shots at a hair salon in the centre of the city. "It's normally a quiet neighbourhood, I do my shopping here every day," Elias Sundgren, a student at the local university, told AFP. Gang violence The shooting came a day before Uppsala holds the Valborg festival to mark the start of spring. While police sealed off the streets around the hair salon -- and a drone flew oveerhead -- they sought to reassure the huge number of visitors expected. "People should not be afraid to come tomorrow," Klarin said. "There are 100,000 to 150,000 people expected in Uppsala for Valborg tomorrow, and there are already a whole lot here today." On February 4, the country was rocked by its worst mass shooting when 35-year-old Rickard Andersson entered the Campus Risbergska adult education centre in the city of Orebro and shot dead 10 people before turning the gun on himself. But the Nordic country has struggled for years to rein in shootings and bombings linked to score-settling between rival gangs. Perpetrators are often young teens who are hired as contract killers because they are under 15, the age of criminal responsibility in Sweden. The number of reported gang deaths fell in 2024 however. In the country of 10.6 million people, 92 cases of deadly violence were recorded in 2024, 29 fewer than 2023, and the lowest level since 2014, according to official data. There were 296 reported shooting cases in 2024, a 20 percent decrease from the year before, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Bra). Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's centre-right minority government, which is backed in parliament by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, came to power in 2022 with a vow to get tough on crime. © 2025 AFP
