SANDVIKEN, SWEDEN – A violent shooting in a Sandviken pub, located about 100 miles northwest of Stockholm, has left two people dead and two others injured, as per police reports on Friday. The deceased include a young man in his 20s and an elderly man in his 70s, who both succumbed to their injuries on Friday following the incident on Thursday night.
The injured individuals, a woman in her 20s and a man in his 50s, were unintended victims of the shooting. Senior investigator Karin Wessén indicated that the younger man who died was likely the shooter’s target, while the others were merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. The local newspaper, Expressen, revealed that the older victim was blind.
Wessén reported that the shooter fired several shots in the packed pub before leaving the scene. The police, who are investigating the incident, are seeking any witnesses to the crime.
The reason behind the shooting is still unknown. Wessén suggested in a press conference that the incident might be related to a local personal feud, but it’s unclear if it’s connected to any larger national conflicts.
Sweden has been dealing with a rise in gang violence, with an increase in drive-by shootings, bombings, and grenade attacks. This year alone, there have been 261 shootings, resulting in 36 deaths and 73 injuries.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed his dismay at the situation, especially when innocent people are caught up in the violence. Earlier this month, a 13-year-old boy was found shot in the head near his home in Stockholm, a horrifying example of the rampant gang violence in the country.
The violence is reportedly due to a dispute over drugs and arms between two gangs, one led by a Turkish-Swedish man living in Turkey and his former lieutenant. In response, Sweden’s center-right government has been implementing stricter laws to fight gang-related crime, while the head of Sweden’s police acknowledged the unprecedented level of violence in the country.