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Sweden

Sweden's gang violence kills dozens of bystanders over three years, police report

Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 06:13 · 1 min read

Swedish police have reported that 23 innocent bystanders were killed and 30 wounded in gang-related shootings over the past three years, highlighting the country's ongoing struggle to contain organised criminal violence. Authorities attribute part of the toll to the youth of the perpetrators — many under 15, Sweden's age of criminal responsibility — who are recruited via social media and encrypted apps and often lack experience with firearms, increasing the risk of hitting unintended targets. In response, Sweden's minority right-wing government has proposed legislation requiring platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat to remove gang recruitment and "murder advertisement" posts within one hour or face heavy fines, and is also considering lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 for serious offences, ahead of a general election on 13 September.

Sources
Al Jazeera EnglishGangland wars killing dozens of bystanders, report Swedish police ↗︎
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