A fight broke out between the suspects, all of whom hail from the nearby suburb of Spånga, and Ibrahim Ali and a group of his friends near an exit from the E4 motorway toward Kista.

An 18-year-old stands charged for the actual murder and for the attempted murder of two additional men who received life threatening injuries.

A 20-year-old and a 16-year-old have also been charged for being accomplices to all three crimes.

The 18-year-old primary suspect has confessed to stabbing all three victims, explaining that he had been assaulted earlier in the evening.

He claims that he was acting in self defence.

The other two suspects deny they committed any crime.

Ibrahim Ali was a promising footballer and popular figure in his home suburb of nearby Husby, serving as something of a role model for many in the predominantly immigrant neighbourhood.

His killing prompted an outpouring of public sympathy, as well as calls for more resources to combat violence among the area’s young people.

In November, Sergels Torg – a central square in downtown Stockholm – was filled with hundreds of young people from neighbourhoods surrounding Ibrahim Ali’s home to honour his memory and encourage the area’s youth to refrain from violence.

The trial of the three suspects is set to start on Monday, February 9th in Attunda District Court.