Sweden vows gang violence crackdown after 12-year-old girl killed in drive-by shooting

Mourners at the scene where a 12-year-old girl was shot dead in Botkyrka, south of Stockholm
AP
4 August 2020

The Swedish government has pledged to crack down on gangland violence after a 12-year-old girl was killed in a drive-by shooting.

Investigators believe the child was hit by a stray bullet late on Sunday in a car park in Botkyrka, east of the capital Stockholm. It is said to be a popular hangout for teenagers.

Detectives believe two men with ties to a criminal gang were the targets, according to local media.

So far no arrests have been made.

People laid floral tributes and candles in memory of the child
via REUTERS

Ministers in the country have pledged to find those responsible for her death and to enforce tougher punishments on perpetrators of organised crime.

Sweden’s Justice minister Morgan Johansson promised “more police and harsher sentences”, as he described his “disgust” at the shooting.

Home affairs minister Mikael Damberg described the incident as “terribly tragic”.

Ministers described the incident as 'terribly tragic'
TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Ima

Mr Damberg told Swedish broadcaster SVT: “You feel a great anger towards the criminal gangs who show no empathy because their shootings affect others.”

“The police are now making great efforts in the murder hunt,” he stressed.

He added: “If we don’t stop the new recruitment of young people into the criminal circles, harsh measures will not mean anything.”

Sweden has seen a rise in organised crime activity in recent years.

Several gang-related shootings have taken place in the country’s three major cities: Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo.