In light of escalating gang violence in Sweden, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has convened an urgent meeting with the national police commissioner and the head of the armed forces.
This comes after a series of violent incidents in September, claiming at least 11 lives, marking a period of heightened tension and unrest in the nation.
On Wednesday, Stockholm witnessed the killing of two individuals in distinct shooting incidents, and a subsequent bombing in Uppsala resulted in the death of a woman in her 20s, believed to be an unintended victim.
“This is a difficult time for Sweden. A 25-year-old woman went to bed last night on a completely ordinary evening but never got to wake up,” conveyed Prime Minister Kristersson in an uncommon televised address to the nation, Reuters reports.
Kristersson, leading a center-right minority government, formed a coalition with the support of the Sweden Democrats, a party known for its populist and pro-legal immigrant stance, thereby concluding eight consecutive years of governance by Social Democrat-led administrations.
The coalition, which pledged to curb the rising tide of gang violence, has introduced several initiatives aimed at enhancing police authority and imposing stricter penalties for firearm offenses.
“We will hunt the gangs, we will defeat the gangs,” Kristersson affirmed.
Approximately 20% of Sweden’s 10.5 million population are foreign-born.
The opposition Social Democrats, currently the largest party in parliament, have urged the government to amend legislation to enable military intervention in combating gang violence.
“This is not Sweden, this is not how Sweden is supposed to be,” remarked Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson during a press conference.
The surge in violence is not confined to major cities but has permeated smaller towns, previously considered safe from such violent crimes.
Earlier this week, a shooting at a bar in Sandviken left two dead and two wounded, making September the most violent month since December 2019.
National Police Commissioner Anders Thornberg expressed grave concern over the criminal conflicts, declaring them a “serious threat to the safety and security of the country.”
He emphasized the commitment of the police, in collaboration with other entities, to halt this alarming trend.
“Innocents are murdered and injured. We are doing everything we can within the police and together with others to stop the development,” he said.
The police speculate that around 30,000 individuals in Sweden are either directly associated with or have connections to gang-related activities.
