Two killed, others wounded as gunman opens fire in Sweden pub

Two people were killed and others injured late on Thursday after an unknown assailant opened fire at a bar in Sweden. The incident took place at a crowded at a pub in Sandviken – some 162 kilometres northwest of Stockholm. Witnesses said that several shots were fired before the gunman walked away.

According to the police a 20-year-old man killed in the shoot is likely to have been the shooter's target. Another man in his 70s was caught in the crossfire and died from his injuries on Friday. Two others – a woman in her 20s and a man in his 50s – were wounded. 

The incident is believed to be the latest escalation in a deadly spiral of violence among criminal gangs. The motive however remains unclear. 

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“We believe that one of the deceased, a man in his 20s, was the intended target. We think the three others just happened to be there. It most likely has links to the criminal gang environment, but I can't say much more at this point,” a police spokesperson said on Friday.

Senior investigator Karin Wessén told a press conference that the shooting could “possibly be part of a local personal conflict” and that it was “uncertain whether it was connected to any of the national conflicts.”

There have been an increasing number of drive-by shootings, bombings and grenade attacks in Sweden in recent years. In 2023 alone there have been 261 shootings – killing 36 people and injuring 73 others. Earlier this month, a 13-year-old boy was found shot in the head in woods, near his home near Stockholm.

Sweden's centre-right government has been tightening laws to tackle gang-related crime, while the head of Sweden's police said earlier this month that warring gangs had brought an “unprecedented” wave of violence to the Scandinavian country.

(With inputs from agencies)