Teenager arrested for gangland murder of man in his 50s, allegedly due to mistaken identity

A teenager has been arrested in Sweden accused of shooting dead a man in his 50s in Malmö late Monday night. Police believe the murder was a case of mistaken identity amid an escalating gang war.

According to information provided to TV4 Nyheterna, it was believed that the real target of the attack was a 25-year-old man with a serious criminal record, who was registered at the same address as the victim. The intended target is well known to authorities and has multiple links to the criminal underworld, which is growing rapidly across Scandinavia.

“We suspect that someone was shot through a window,” said Patric Fors, press spokesperson for the Malmö police.

The victim, who had no previous criminal record, was found dead at the scene after allegedly being shot through the balcony door when responding to a knock. A family member discovered him lying on the ground and attempted to revive him while he waited for emergency services.

Shortly after the incident, police arrested a 16-year-old boy who had allegedly escaped from an HVB home, a type of youth care institution. A hand grenade was found during the arrest and the teenager is now in custody on suspicion of murder and serious weapons offences.

“The person is being questioned during the day and has been arrested in the area,” Fors confirms.

The suspect’s ethnicity has not been disclosed by authorities.

Police officers cordoned off a large area near the crime scene to investigate and reportedly discovered two pistols, a Kalashnikov rifle and three grenades near the crime scene.

The incident is part of a larger pattern of violent crime in Malmö, much of which is linked to gang-related conflicts, but also highlights the worrying trend of minors being used to commit violent crimes on behalf of predominantly migrant gangs.

Although this minor is believed to be 16 years old, many criminal acts are committed by persons under the age of 15 on the orders of gang leaders, meaning that the perpetrators in Sweden have not yet reached the age of responsibility and cannot be convicted.

In October last year, a 16-year-old boy was arrested in Tullinge, south of Stockholm, on suspicion of committing three murders and two attempted murders in separate gang-related incidents within a 24-hour period.

He was caught driving away from the area in a taxi and was found in possession of an automatic firearm, as well as an additional magazine of ammunition.

In April this year, a Polish father was shot in the head by a gang of youths in front of his 12-year-old son as they cycled to a local swimming pool in Skärholmen, south Stockholm.

The murder shocked the country and brought the increase in criminal gang activity to the forefront of the country’s political discourse.

“Teen gangs are particularly dangerous, as older members receive very harsh sentences, while the younger ones go unpunished and sometimes kill on command,” Anna Kremka, a Pole living in Sweden, told local news media at the time.

An Iraqi teenager identified as Mohammed Khalid Mohammed Mohammed was later arrested for the murder. He was already known to the authorities for robbery, attempted theft, assault, vandalism and multiple drug offenses, and due to his age he faces a maximum prison sentence of eight years.