Sweden shooting: At least 3 wounded amid rise in gun violence in the Scandinavian nation
August 4, 2021, 3:36 am

Sweden shooting

According to the AP, Sweden police said at least three people have been wounded in a shooting in the southern Swedish city of Kristianstad. Local media added that no suspects have been detained yet.

The AP reported Swedish police received an alert Tuesday afternoon that several loud bangs were heard in one of the districts of the city. Police soon arrived at the scene with several patrols.

According to preliminary information, at least three people were taken to hospital with suspected gunshot wounds, Swedish police say. A man in his 20s, a man in his 30s and a woman in her 60s have serious injuries, according to police, who added there’s a possibility the number of wounded will still rise.

The police investigation is focused on finding where precisely the shooting took place, as there were reports of shots being fired around the city and its surrounding areas.

Poolice stand at the scene of a shooting incident, in the Nasby area, of Kristianstad, Sweden, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021. Police say that at least two people have been injured in a shooting in the southern Swedish city of Kristianstad. Swedish police received an alert on Tuesday afternoon that several loud bangs had been heard. According to preliminary information, no one was killed. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)

The Swedish newspaper Expressen reported that one or more perpetrators left the main scene of the shooting by motorcycle. Police wouldn’t confirm that information.

There was no immediate information on the cause of the shooting, but it comes amid a rise in gun violence in the Scandinavian nation.

A report by the Swedish national council for crime prevention said earlier this year that Sweden is the only European country where fatal shootings have risen significantly since 2000, primarily because of the violent activities of organized criminal gangs.

“We are currently working to get an overview of how many are injured. An ambulance has been called to the scene,” police spokesman Richard Lundqvist was quoted as telling local newspaper Sydsvenskan.

On Monday evening, there were also reports of shootings in the same area in Kristianstad, the Swedish news agency TT reported.

Source: AP
Image source: AP

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.