After a dismal record of deadly gun violence last year, Sweden is experiencing another wave of violence. In the capital, Stockholm, there has been repeated gunfire at night and deliberate explosions in recent days.
For the second consecutive night, an apartment building in the Stockholm suburb of Farsta was bombed this morning without anyone being hurt. A few hours earlier, an explosive charge exploded on a staircase in Arsta – also in the south of Stockholm. According to the Aftonbladet newspaper, remains of a hand grenade were found. No one was hurt here either. There were no arrests.
deadly gang crime
Sweden has been struggling with rampant gang crime for several years now, which repeatedly manifests itself in gunshots and explosions. In 2022, there were 388 incidents involving firearms in the EU country. 61 people died.
Victims and perpetrators are increasingly smaller. Gang problems also played a role in the election campaign ahead of Sweden’s general election in September, after which the country received a new government. They promised to get the problem under control.
In Stockholm, gunfire and detonations have increased noticeably since Christmas. It is suspected that the background to these acts is, among other things, a conflict over the drug market in the city of Sundsvall, almost 400 kilometers to the north.
According to broadcaster SVT and Aftonbladet, a 24-year-old with a criminal network is in charge there, but a notorious 36-year-old living in Turkey and his entourage want to challenge him for that position. Several of the acts would be directed against relatives of the two main actors in this conflict.
“Complex” situation according to police
According to the police, the situation is extremely complex. The acting regional delegate, Mattias Andersson, told a press conference that it is not just one, but several conflicts that occur in parallel.
“We are working on many, many fronts.” The main priority is to break the spiral of violence. It was therefore decided to classify everything as a special situation – this means that investigations can have their own management and additional forces.