Dramatic murder in Uppsala: Youth gangs expose shocking violence!

Dramatic murder in Uppsala: Youth gangs expose shocking violence!

on Tuesday, May 2nd, 2025, occurred in a hairdressing salon in Uppsala, Sweden, fatal shots in which three young people between 15 and 20 years were killed. The authorities are intensively investigating the background of this violent act, which may be connected to the increased gang crime in Sweden. A 16-year-old suspect, who was initially arrested, has now been released again because the suspicion against him did not confirm. The responsible public prosecutor Andreas Nyberg confirmed that the 16-year-old is no longer suspected of a crime, reports FAZ .

A total of six suspects are in custody. Among them is an approximately 20 -year -old man who is suspected of murder. In addition, two men between the ages of 25 and 35 were arrested for murder due to incitement. A large part of the investigation focuses on whether the crime is related to local gait conflicts, which are a serious problem in Sweden. Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson described the violent argument as "extremely violent" and expressed that it was "almost like a execution".

connections to gang crime

The murder -suspect is also said to be a crowded gang member from Södertälje, which is about 80 kilometers south of Uppsala. Two of the three victims are said to have connections to a criminal group in Uppsala, while the youngest victim has no connections. This situation highlights the growing gang crime in Sweden, which has adopted alarming proportions in recent years. In 2022, there were 62 fatalities through arguments by criminal gangs, a record value in international comparison, reports Tagesschau . There are an estimation of around 30,000 gang members in Sweden. These are often involved in drug and arms trade, and the gangs are increasingly entering legal business areas. Violence not only affects big cities. Smaller cities such as Helsingborg and Umeå are also affected. For many perpetrators, escape to crime is a result of social disadvantage, which favors the recruitment of young people under the age of 15 as a killer, since they are not fulfilled in Sweden. This was classified as particularly worrying by various experts.

government plans measures

The Swedish government is prompted to take measures. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson plans to use the army to support the police in the fight against gangs. In addition, laws are to be tightened, new prisons are built and so-called "stop-and-search" zones are to be introduced in order to counteract this development. The opposition, on the other hand, questions the previous approaches and demands more investments in prevention and social integration.

The latest events in Uppsala ensure an increase in concern and anger among the population, not least with the mayor Erik Pelling, who expressed his frustration about the ongoing violence in the city. It can be expected that the public debate about the causes and possible solutions for the problem of gang crime in Sweden will continue to increase in intensity, while the investigation into the fatal shots in Uppsala will continue. The challenge of stopping violence remains a central question of Swedish society, as well as Deutschlandfunk reports.