More than 20 Bystanders Killed in Sweden Shootings in Three Years
Police say young shooters and gang recruitment on social media are fueling violence as Sweden moves to tighten penalties and platform rules.
- Statistics released Monday showed 30 people wounded and innocent bystanders killed in Swedish gangland shootings over the past three years, highlighting the nation's struggle with violent crime.
- Gang violence in Sweden has persisted for over a decade, driven primarily by score-settling and battles to control the drug market, which frequently endangers nearby civilians.
- Young, inexperienced shooters pose a greater risk of hitting the wrong target, said Alexander Wallenius, operations coordinator at the Swedish police. "We are dealing with very young perpetrators who, in many cases, have no previous experience of violent crime, which means a greater risk that third parties or the wrong target will be hit," Wallenius said.
- To combat recruitment, the government planned legislation last week requiring TikTok and Snapchat to remove gangs' "murder adverts" within an hour or face hefty fines.
- The government has also proposed lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 for serious crimes, an initiative backed by the Sweden Democrats ahead of September elections.
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18 Articles
Bombs and Bullets: Sweden's Daily Gang War
In a car park in a suburb in Sweden, Adam reveals how much money can be earned from shooting someone. "If you shoot somebody in the leg, you'll get 50,000 krona (£3,700)," he says. "Before, if you were going to kill somebody, you got a million [krona] (£76,000) - but now the prices are so low that everyone kills."
Sweden: 23 Bystanders Killed in Gang Shootings Over Three Years
Twenty-three innocent bystanders have been killed and 30 wounded in gang-related shootings in Sweden over the past three years, according to new police data highlighting the country’s ongoing struggle with violent crime. Authorities say the victims were not the intended targets but were instead caught in the crossfire, struck by stray bullets, mistaken for someone else, or linked to individuals involved in criminal networks. The Nordic country …
Twenty-three passers-by were killed and 30 injured accidentally in Sweden in gang-related gun attacks over the past three years, according to monthly statistics.
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