More than 20 bystanders killed in Sweden gangland shootings in three years, police say

Published on 04/05/2026 - 19:07 GMT+2

Twenty-three guiltless bystanders person been killed and 30 wounded successful gangland shootings successful Sweden successful the past 3 years, according to statistic released connected Monday that highlighted its conflict to rein successful convulsive crime.

The state has struggled for much than a decennary to incorporate pack unit linked chiefly to score-settling and battles to power the cause market.

The guiltless victims see radical deed by stray bullets, cases of a mistaken individuality by the shooter and relatives of targeted pack members, according to constabulary statistics.

Alexander Wallenius, operations coordinator astatine the Swedish police's section of nationalist operations, told quality bureau TT that 1 crushed for the fig of bystanders injured was that galore of the shooters were young.

"We are dealing with precise young perpetrators who, successful galore cases, person nary erstwhile acquisition of convulsive crime, which means a greater hazard that 3rd parties oregon the incorrect people volition beryllium hit," Wallenius said.

Swedish gangs often usage societal media and encrypted apps to enlistee teens who are paid to transportation retired crimes.

The recruits are often nether the property of 15, Sweden's property of transgression responsibility, meaning they cannot beryllium prosecuted and autumn nether the work of societal services, making them invaluable assets to gangs.

The number right-wing government, propped up by the far-right Sweden Democrats, has been pushing done proposals cracking down connected transgression and migration up of a wide predetermination connected 13 September.

Last week it said it planned to present authorities requiring societal media platforms similar TikTok and Snapchat to instrumentality down gangs' "murder adverts" wrong an hr oregon look hefty fines.

The authorities has antecedently announced plans to little the property of transgression work from 15 to 13 for crimes punishable by astatine slightest 4 years successful prison.