Swedish authorities blame crime gangs operating in cities like Stockholm for the record number of gun-related killings in the country
The government of Sweden has announced that sixty people have been shot in the country this year due to gang crimes. According to a report by Reuters on Monday, December 19, this number of gun-related killings is the highest in the recent history of the country.
“Deadly gun violence has increased and unfortunately has hit a new, bloody record this year”, said Gunnar Strommer, Justice Minister, the report states. Strommer added, “The deaths are the tip of an iceberg of violence as organized crime has put down deep roots in parts of society”.
The report said, an epidemic of shooting in recent years across Sweden has been a result of criminal gangs that operate in cities like Stockholm.
To take action against this issue, Strommer said, the government is now planning to set up a special council within the Justice Ministry to fight against gang crime. “No decent society can accept that someone is shot dead once a week on the open street,” Strommer added, according to the report.
The situation due to gang crime in Sweden has changed drastically over the past two decided. The country has gone from having one of the lowest death tolls due to gun-related violence, to one of the highest, as per the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention.
According to their estimates from 2021, over 45 people lost their lives in the country after being shot dead.
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