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Shots fired at homeless pair in northern Sweden

UPDATED: A police investigation is under way after shots were fired at two homeless EU migrants sleeping in a car in Boden in northern Sweden overnight, a control room officer told The Local on Thursday morning.

Shots fired at homeless pair in northern Sweden
Police are investigating after a shooting in Boden in northern Sweden. Photo: Robert Nyholm/TT

“Shots were fired at a couple asleep in a car in the car park overnight. At least one shot went in through the left back door, without hittting any of the people in the car,” said police control room officer Tomas Schäufele.

He confirmed to The Local that the two people were EU migrants from an eastern European country, sleeping rough in Boden.

Police were called to the scene at 9am. The car park was sealed off while forensic teams investigated.

“We are currently questioning the victims,” said Schäufele on Thursday morning and added that police did not yet have any suspects.

No one was injured in the incident.

READ ALSO: Meet northern Sweden's frozen migrants

Schäufele was not able to confirm the nationality of the two victims, but thousands of so-called EU migrants are estimated to have travelled to Sweden in recent years, with one recent study suggesting the number has doubled to 4000 people over the past 12 months. 

Most of them are members of the Roma community – one of the EU's largest minority groups – and arrive as EU tourists under the right to Freedom of Movement. Many live in tents or caravans and make a living by asking passersby for money outside shops and underground stations.

Thursday's shooting is the latest in a spate of attacks on EU migrants in Sweden. Just two months ago two people were assaulted in central Stockholm by a passerby throwing acid at them. And two weeks earlier a beggar was targeted with a firecracker.