Police Detain 13-Year-Old With Loaded Handgun Following Malmö Shooting ━ The European Conservative

Police briefly arrested a 13-year-old suspect after a shooting that injured a 25-year-old man in central Malmö early Sunday evening. The suspect was found close to the crime scene carrying a loaded handgun. Because of his age, the shooter was handed over to social services.

Swedish law considers anyone under 15 a child, which means they cannot be tried in court. Crimes by children are investigated and social services decide on what “support and care” is needed. In cases when children commit serious crimes, such as rape or murder, an “evidentiary action” can be held by the court system. The court’s task in such cases is only to determine guilt. Children found guilty in such cases often receive care. 

Malmö police told daily Sydsvenskan that the perpetrator could have been recruited to commit the crime. Gangs recruiting children to commit crimes is a growing problem, Swedish state broadcaster SVT said earlier this year. A gang recruiter told SVT’s reporter that he primarily seeks out young people “who aren’t being taken care of, so you can step in as a big brother.” “It’s easier to get a little kid to do things for you, so you don’t have to get your hands dirty,” he said.

As we reported last week, Danish authorities have implemented increased border checks following violent crimes by perpetrators coming across on the Øresund bridge to Sweden. Denmark’s Special Crime Unit says teens in Sweden are using online platforms to take jobs committing violent crimes for money in Denmark, which is only 40 minutes away by train. A high-level Monday meeting including Danish national police chief Thorkild Fogde, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Minister of Justice Peter Hummelgaard discussed further measures to put a swift stop to the cross-strait crime.

“We will, of course, also put pressure on Sweden to take responsibility for these matters,” the justice minister said. 

Norway and Finland have also previously sounded the alarm about criminal immigrant networks from Sweden spreading their activities across borders. 

Since 2017, Sweden has each year recorded over 300 shootings per year. According to Swedish Security Police Säpo, in 2023, Sweden had nine times more deadly shootings than Norway, Denmark, and Finland together. While Swedish authorities have largely blamed social factors like poverty and “exclusion” from Swedish society for the higher crime rate, a 2021 study from the Swedish Crime Prevention Council showed that 

Foreign-born individuals are 2.5 times more likely to be registered as suspected of a crime compared to those born in Sweden with both parents also born in Sweden. For people born in Sweden with two foreign-born parents, the likelihood is over 3 times higher than for those with Swedish-born parents.”

Daily Aftonbladet reported Monday that “the police have not apprehended any suspected orchestrator of Sunday’s shooting.” The incident is classified as attempted murder and aggravated weapons offense.