Two shootings inside homes where kids and their parents live, left two women and a man dead within a little more than 24 hours in Sweden. The women were shot with their kids nearby or as witness in their home. It is the latest low in the wave of gun and bomb violence that is troubling Sweden more and more.
Police were quick on Friday to arrest a 16-year-old boy in a taxi in Stockholm suburb Huddinge, with the taxi driver also taken into custody. With him was the suspected murder weapon, and he was apprehended shortly after he left the villa of the 60-year-old and the 20-year-old woman he reportedly killed in the night of Thursday 12 to Friday 13 October.
Known Swedish artist
According to details in Swedish media both women were shot inside the house, in Tullinge just outside Stockholm. Inside were also another adult and multiple kids, but they were not hit. Media report the address is home to a known Swedish artist, but some also connect it to organised crime networks in Sweden. In the recent past multiple rappers were involved in these networks, but the kind of artist was not disclosed yet at this time. Swedish police has not confirmed much in general, but did say that those shot and killed were innocent, and not connected to any crime or criminal organisation.
Kurdish Fox
Some reports say the suspected attacker did it on assignment from Turkey, which likely means it is part of a longer wave of shootings and bombings in between different fractions and competitors of the crime network Foxtrot of Rawa M., aka the Kurdish Fox (Kurdiska räven). Some media report his former second in command has got in conflict with his former boss.
Three hours after the killing, there was another shooting. This time in the Stockholm suburb of Enskede, and shots were fired at an apartment. Of the five people inside no one was hurt, police says. Late Friday night shots were fired at an apartment in Navestad in Norrköping, but when publishing this story there was no word yet on possible victims.
Dad killed, wife and two small kids wounded
Almost 25 hours earlier a 40-year-old man was shot and killed, and his wife seriously wounded, inside their home in Västberga, about 15 kilometres from Tullinge. One of the two small kids of the family was also wounded, but there are conflicting reports if a bullet hit the child.
7 arson attacks in hours, gang-related
A little after 3AM several homes in Huddinge were evacuated when a fire broke out and rescue services found explosive substances were possibly found, although not many details have been released about this incident yet. Earlier this week seven apartments at multiple locations in and around Stockholm were set on fire, comprising of Råcksta, Enskedalen, Glömsta, Flemingsberg, Haninge, Jordbro and Södertälje. Police did arrest three suspects for these fires and was looking for more, and the police did confirm the arson attacks were connected to the ongoing gang violence.
15 people killed since 7 September
Since 7 September 15 people have been killed killed in gang-related violence in Sweden, some gang members, some are related family members and some are non-connected bystanders. Swedish police said earlier this week that since 7 September there were in total 60 gang-related violent incidents all over the country. The recent wave is concentrated from Gävle in the north to Linköping much south-west of Stockholm.
150 addresses, explosives taken and fake hitlist
After the bombing of two houses in Storvreta north of Uppsala on 28 September, the Swedish police confirmed to the media at least 150 adresses were on their list of where the next attack could take place. On 11 October, police arrested two people in Björklinge, just north of Uppsala, when 200 kilos of explosives were found at their premises during a house search.
During the year 2023, Swedish police arrested 400 people for gun violence so far, and another 100 for explosive devices. Swedish police top boss Anders Thornberg said on 10 October that the number of underage among the arrested increased by 30 percent compared to the year before.
Earlier this week, a fake hit list was spread via social media – putting more innocent lives at danger as reportedly many on the list have nothing to do with organised crime. The list also includes the names of at least one whole family, Swedish media reported. | © 2023 Marcel Burger, nordicreporter.com
Recommended read: Deadliest night in Sweden, published on 28 September 2023