The unprecedented surge of gang violence threatening Sweden’s youth

In recent years, gang violence has spread across several European countries — from repeated machine-gun attacks in Brussels, Belgium, to teenage killings in Sweden.

But Sweden is grappling with a level of gang-related violence that is unprecedented on the continent.

According to Euronews and European Conservative, Stockholm ranks among the most dangerous cities in Europe. By August this year, 55 shootings had been recorded in the city, leaving nine people dead.

During the same period, 113 shootings took place across Sweden, resulting in a total of 33 deaths.

In recent years, Sweden has become a hub for drug gangs, which often rely on teenage killers and explosives in their violent turf wars.

This problem is not confined to the capital. Malmö, Gothenburg, and Uppsala have also been plagued by shootings, bombings, and gang-related killings.

In 2022, Sweden recorded the third-highest rate of firearm homicides in Europe — after Montenegro and Albania.

The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention reported a significant rise in the number of minors involved in shootings leading to injury or death, increasing from 9 in 2019 to 29 by mid-2024. Within the 15–20 age group, serious violent crime suspects increased by nearly 400% between 2014 and 2023

A program director at a conservative think tank in Sweden said: “It is clear that we have long witnessed a sharp rise in crime, especially gang-related crime. These criminal organizations are committing crimes with guns and bombings at a level that is absolutely exceptional and unmatched in Europe.”

The Swedish government has been forced to implement sweeping changes to confront this crisis. Among them is a new criminal responsibility law aimed at disrupting the recruitment of minors by gangs, lowering the age of criminal liability for serious crimes such as murder and bombings from 15 to 13.

Additionally, Sweden is tightening its gun laws following a mass shooting in Örebro that resulted in 10 fatalities. The government plans to restrict access to semi-automatic weapons and improve the reporting of individuals deemed medically unsuitable to possess firearms.

Swedish police say gang leaders are increasingly operating from abroad, issuing orders via social media and encrypted messaging apps. Children as young as 12 are being recruited to carry out shootings or plant explosives, lured with promises of money and status.

Meanwhile, Europol has warned that what started in Sweden is now “spreading like wildfire” across Europe.

The implications of this crisis extend beyond Sweden's borders. The Stockholm Declaration, a European Security Pact, has called for enhanced cooperation among EU member states to combat cross-border gang activities and prevent criminals from exploiting the EU's freedom of movement

The fear caused by this wave of violence is palpable. A recent survey showed that nearly one in three women aged 16 to 29 in Sweden avoid going out at night for fear of threats or attacks.

This crisis has also become a turning point in European politics.