Over the past decade, the homicide rate in Sweden has consistently risen. The surge is primarily attributed to firearm-related violence associated with criminal gangs. Prior to 2022, Sweden had an average of 4 firearm-related homicides per million inhabitants, compared to 1.6 in other European countries. In 2022, firearm violence in Sweden reached a record high with 391 confirmed shootings and 63 fatalities.
Thus, the situation in the country has been grave for over a decade.
On the morning of August 26, 2019, Malmö became the scene of a tragedy. Karolin Hakim, a 31-year-old mother and doctor, was fatally shot outside her residence on Sergels väg. As she was being shot, she was seated on the pavement, cradling her four-month-old infant.
However, the intended target was Karolin Hakim’s husband. As he attempted to flee from the two gunmen waiting outside their residence, he reportedly stumbled with the infant in his arms. The infant fell to the sidewalk, where Karolin Hakim promptly picked up the child.
The following day, I had an interview with Göteborgs-Posten:
Ardavan Khoshnood emphasizes that his hypotheses, after hearing the testimonies, are merely speculative.
Göteborgs-Posten
– Should it be the case that they shot her to target him, then they might have opened Pandora’s box. This would mean lowering the threshold in a manner previously unseen in Malmö, permitting attacks on each other’s families and thus paving the way for further acts of violence.
Initially, the situation was relatively calm, but over time, my fears became reality. An increasing number of relatives are becoming victims as criminals target each other. In early March, Erik Mellin wrote an article for Aftonbladet, noting that three relatives of gang criminals had been murdered in recent days. On September 7, the police reported that a 60-year-old woman was fatally shot in her home. She turned out to be the mother of a gang criminal. And on September 25, around 21:10, a massive explosion occurred in Hässelby strand, west of Stockholm. Currently, we know that three individuals were injured, but their condition remains unknown. Aftonbladet reports:
The address is home to relatives of an individual, who, according to information from Aftonbladet, is in conflict with a criminal network.
Aftonbladet
Pandora’s box has indeed been opened. But can we close it again?