A man has been killed in Sweden after shots were fired close to Stockholm in what was thought to be a further instance of gang violence.
Several shootings and an explosion were reported in and around Stockholm on Friday night, but police have not yet made any arrests.
"Gang crime is escalating," Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told broadcaster SVT. "These are people with an extreme potential for violence who threaten other people's safety and freedom in search of revenge or status."
Sweden has been struggling with gang crime for several years. There were 388 firearms incidents in 2022 nationwide, resulting in 61 deaths. More and more minors are involved, as victims and perpetrators alike.
Officers discovered the dead man in Solna near Stockholm on Friday night. He suffered gunshot wounds.
Shots were also reported in Fruängen and Tumba, south-west of the capital, while there was a blast in the Skarpnäck district in southern Stockholm.
A police spokesperson said the attacks were probably connected and that shots had been fired and explosions reported in recent days.
"It is a very tense situation with five serious violent crimes in 10 hours. This is not the norm and has never happened before in this spiral of violence," the spokesperson said.
It is a very serious conflict, according to police expert on gang violence, Gunnar Appelgren, who said it is a matter of kill or be killed.
In a further incident on Friday night, two teenagers were injured in a car chase in Stockholm. Police officers found weapons in the car they were travelling in. They arrested three people.
