During the remand hearing the 18-year-old denied the murder allegation against him but admitted to having been in possession of the gun. According to his defence lawyer, Sargon De Basso, the shooting was an accident.

“It was an accidental shot,” De Basso told news agency TT.

The lawyer claims that the 18-year-old was showing his gun off to the 17-year-old girl who was his girlfriend.

“When they were looking at the weapon a shot fired from it. It had catastrophic consequences and it is a terrible tragedy,” De Basso said.

The lawyer was unwilling to disclose where the 18-year-old had acquired the gun and what he was going to use it for.

The incident occurred just after 1pm on Monday in a Sollentuna flat. It was reportedly the 18-year-old who called the emergency services after the girl was shot.

“My client did everything in his power to save the girl’s life. He tried to stop the bleeding. He is in terrible distress at the moment,” De Basso said.

According to his defence lawyer, the teenager’s version of events is credible. At the same time he is not surprised that the court decided to remand him into custody.

”The investigation will show that the 18-year-old’s version of events is what happened,” he said to TT.

TT/The Local/rm