Swedish gang violence skyrockets homicide rate

Sweden’s gang violence has escalated to the point where its homicide rate linked to gang warfare is now one of the highest in Europe, with shooters often being minors.

There is an average of one shooting per day for every 10 million inhabitants, and in 2023, 53 people were killed in shootings.

Fifty kilometres from the Swedish port city of Malmö, journalists met with a young man who wishes to remain anonymous.

He alleges that he started out at the age of 14 as a drug trafficker, but these days he carries out a variety of orders like planting explosions or committing shootings. 

Ads are placed on encrypted messaging platforms. He claims to earn an average of €7,000 a month.

“To blow up a door in Malmö costs €3,000. Then to kill someone it’s €80,000 in Malmö, Stockholm it’s €50,000,” he said.  

“I’ve never killed, but I’ve hurt people.” 

As the violence becomes more widespread, criminals are turning to minors, who face juvenile justice rather than life sentences in the adult system, for contract killings.

In the first half of this year, local media reported that the number of suspects under the age of 15 involved in murder was nearly four times higher than last year.

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