Dark turn: How hate crimes and gun violence are reshaping Sweden

On Friday, August 15, 2025, a shooting took place near a mosque in the central city of Örebro. According to police, one man was killed and another wounded. The victim, a 25-year-old man, was gunned down as he exited the mosque, while another man in his 20s sustained injuries. Police confirmed that at least one perpetrator was seen fleeing the scene, and investigations into murder, attempted murder, and weapons offenses are underway.

While police have tried to link the incident to Sweden’s spiraling wave of gang-related violence, analysts warn that the convergence of hate crimes and armed violence disproportionately targets the country’s most vulnerable communities—particularly migrants and Muslims.

Örebro itself has been scarred by similar tragedies. On February 4, 2025, the city witnessed a mass shooting at an adult education center that left 11 people dead, including the gunman. Most victims were migrants. The police’s silence regarding the attacker’s motives fueled deep concerns within Sweden’s immigrant communities.

The escalation of racist and hate-driven crimes has been so alarming that in early 2025, the Swedish government launched a new national action plan. Based on data about the prevalence of racism, the plan targeted four main areas: schools, the justice system, welfare, and the workplace. It specifically sought to combat anti-Muslim racism, anti-Black racism, anti-Roma discrimination, and antisemitism.

Yet, much like previous efforts, the initiative appears to have failed. Political developments and societal tensions in Sweden have only intensified the crisis.

The United Nations has repeatedly criticized Sweden for shortcomings in human rights protections, particularly regarding hate crimes. A report last year stressed that Sweden needs stronger safeguards against hate-driven offenses and hate speech.

Despite repeated UN warnings, Sweden has taken only limited steps to strengthen protections. The UN has emphasized that the country’s hate crime laws must be more widely and consistently applied. A similar report in 2020 had already flagged Sweden’s lack of adequate measures to prevent hate crimes.

This entrenched crisis is worsening as Sweden simultaneously faces a surge in deadly gun violence, placing the country among the worst globally in this regard.

Once recognized for stability and high quality of life, Sweden has in recent years been gripped by an unprecedented wave of urban violence. Today, it ranks among Europe’s hardest-hit countries in terms of armed violence. Stockholm, Malmö, and Gothenburg have become epicenters of bombings and explosions targeting residential buildings, police stations, and public spaces.

The Swedish government has admitted it has lost control of the situation.

Organized crime and gun-related violence have sparked widespread fears about security across the nation. As one criminology, law, and public policy professor at Northeastern University put it: "We make up 5% of the world’s population, but we account for 16% of mass shootings — nearly three times our share."