Sweden shootings: Four men detained, 16-year-old suspect freed
The 16-Year-Old Suspect Freed in Uppsala Shooting Investigation
In a surprising turn of events, the adolescent suspect, who was detained in connection to the shooting tragedy that left three young lives extinguished in Uppsala, Sweden on Tuesday, has been unhitched from suspicion and released, as announced by prosecutor Andreas Nyberg on Friday, May 2. “The initial accusations against the 16-year-old have dwindled during the custody. He is no longer considered a suspect”, declared Nyberg in a statement.
Two men, estimated to be around 25 and 35, were apprehended on Thursday under charges of incitement to murder, while a third, around 20, was arrested in the early hours of Thursday to Friday, initially suspected of murder. A fourth perpetrator, roughly 45 years old, was arrested on Friday morning, also on incitement to murder charges, according to another statement from Nyberg.
The Shocking Incident
Three teenagers, ranging in age from 15 to 20, lost their lives on Tuesday evening in a busy hair salon situated in this academically vibrant town, located approximately 60 kilometers north of Stockholm. The incident left the town in a state of disarray, with Swedish media reporting at least one of the victims had associations with organized crime, an allegation the police have yet to verify.
Gang Wars in the City
Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, expressed his dismay over "an act of extreme violence that bears an eerie resemblance to an execution".
Uppsala has been the stronghold for the two most storied rival gang leaders in Sweden - Ismail Abdo and Rawa Majid - however, both have allegedly shifted their operations abroad. The city has experienced a rise in violence "since 2023 following the murder of Ismail Abdo's mother", a violation connected to the conflict between Abdo's gang, Rumba, and the gang of Rawa Majid, Foxtrot, according to statements made by the prosecutor on Tuesday.
Sweden has been wrestling with a growing tide of shootings and bombings, primarily stemming from rival gangs, particularly their power struggles over the drug trade.
Dive deeper into this harrowing story with our exclusive article "In Sweden, after the country's deadliest mass shooting, questions remain unanswered" on our site, courtesy of AFP.
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In the wake of the shocking incident in Uppsala, Prosecutor Andreas Nyberg announced that the 16-year-old suspect, previously connected to the deadly shooting, is no longer considered a suspect. Despite the release, two men of approximately 25 and 35, and a third around 20, have been arrested on charges of incitement to murder, with a fourth, approximately 45 years old, also arrested on similar charges. This violence bears a striking resemblance to an execution and has ratcheted up the city's crime and justice woes, particularly since 2023, following the murder of Ismail Abdo's mother, a violation connected to the ongoing conflict between Abdo's gang, Rumba, and Rawa Majid's gang, Foxtrot. Amidst this general-news tragedy, questions remain unanswered in Sweden, a country grappling with an escalating number of shootings and bombings, predominantly due to rival gangs' power struggles over the drug trade.
