Gang shootings start weekend in Malmö and Gothenburg

At around 7pm on Friday evening a 20-year-old man was shot in Biskopsgården, a district of Gothenburg long plagued by gang violence.  Then at 2am on Saturday morning, a man in his mid-to-late 30s was shot inside a club in Norra Grängesbergsgatan, a Malmö street known for its illegal nightclubs. 

 

The attacks come as Sweden's police are facing mounting criticism, with Malmö's chief prosecutor claiming on Saturday that acute undermanning and poor management had severely damaged the local police's ability to investigate crimes. 

 

“If people are hit by crimes which then aren't investigated, they will lose faith in the rule of law,” Ola Sjöstrand told Sydsvenskan in an interview published on Saturday. . 

 

The victim of the Malmö shooting drove himself to the city's accident and emergency department despite being shot several times. Doctors describe his wounds as serious but not life-threatening. 

 

The victim of the Gothenburg shooting was also in a serious but stable condition, sources at the city's Sahlgrenska hospital told TT newswire. 

 

According to Gothenburg police, the victim of the shooting, a known criminal who was discovered wounded at the scene, also appeared to have fired off shots during the altercation. 

 

Witnesses reported a moped driving away from the scene at haste after the shooting. 

 

Police in Malmö have seized a man in his 50 on suspicion of involvement in the club shooting. 

 

“When the police arrived at the location, there was still a person there and he was seized. Now we need to find out what comes out of interviewing him,” Calle Persson, a press spokesman for the local police told TT newswire. 

 

His colleague Hans Nilsson told Expressen that police were on Saturday carrying out a detailed inspection of the premises where the shooting took place.  

 

“This happened indoors on Norra Grängesbergsgatan. We have closed it off for a technical investigation.”