Multiple Injured in Separate Malmö Shootings, Investigations Underway
Malmö, Sweden is grappling with a series of shootings that have left several people injured, including two 15-year-old boys seriously wounded on New Year’s Eve. Police have made multiple arrests in connection with these incidents, including the brief detention of a 13-year-old boy found with a loaded handgun.
The most recent serious incident, occurring on New Year’s Eve, took place in the Rosengård district of Malmö. According to police spokesperson Patric Fors, officers responding to the scene found the two injured teenagers inside a stairwell. Both were transported to hospital with serious injuries. Authorities have not yet commented on whether the boys were previously known to police, stating that doing so “can send completely wrong signals.”
A number of men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder related to the New Year’s Eve shooting, the Prosecution Authority confirmed. Prosecutor Robin Simonsson stated that the age and exact number of those arrested are being withheld due to the early stage of the investigation and standard preliminary investigation secrecy protocols. “We have a number of people arrested for attempted murder in two cases, no more than that,” Simonsson said.
Police launched a large-scale operation following the shooting, including the deployment of a weapons dog and a technical investigation. The area was cordoned off for several hours before the cordons were removed around 2 am on New Year’s night. Officers conducted door-to-door inquiries and collected witness statements from residents in the surrounding area.
Separately, earlier in the week, a 25-year-old man was injured in a shooting in central Malmö. In connection with that incident, a 13-year-old suspect was briefly arrested after being found nearby carrying a loaded handgun. Due to his age, the suspect was handed over to social services, as Swedish law considers anyone under 15 a child and unable to be tried in court. Crimes committed by children are handled by social services, who determine the appropriate “support and care.”
Authorities are investigating the possibility that the 13-year-old suspect was recruited to commit the crime. Swedish state broadcaster SVT reported earlier this year on the growing problem of gangs recruiting children to carry out violent acts. According to a gang recruiter who spoke to SVT, young people who “aren’t being taken care of” are specifically targeted. “It’s easier to get a little kid to do things for you, so you don’t have to get your hands dirty,” the recruiter reportedly said.
The incidents in Malmö come amid increased concern about cross-border crime. Danish authorities have recently implemented increased border checks following violent crimes allegedly committed by perpetrators traveling from Denmark across the Øresund bridge into Sweden. Danish police have indicated that teenagers in Sweden are utilizing online platforms to accept assignments for violent crimes in Denmark, which is a short train ride away. A recent high-level meeting in Denmark, including national police chief Thorkild Fogde, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Minister of Justice Peter Hummelgaard, focused on measures to halt this cross-border criminal activity. The Danish Minister of Justice stated a desire to “put pressure on Sweden to take responsibility for these matters.”
In a separate incident, night, one person was killed and four others were wounded in a shooting in Malmö, according to Swedish police. Police have made an arrest in connection with this shooting.
