Sweden: Man killed in shooting at Malmo shopping mall, teen suspect arrested

A man lost his life while a woman sustained injuries after a shooting at a Swedish shopping centre, police reported. According to Swedish outlet TV4, approximately 20 gunshots were fired, creating panic among the people at the Emporia shopping mall in the southern city of Malmo, Sweden. Following the incident, police have detained a teenage boy and believed that the shooting, which comes ahead of the general elections next month, is related to gang violence , BBC reported. 

“Police are on site with big resources to map the incident by interviewing witnesses and going through material from surveillance cameras. The immediate danger to the public appears to be over,” citing Malmo police, Associated Press reported.  

Notably, in recent years, shootings by criminal gangs have become more prevalent in Sweden, especially in Malmo, the third-largest city in the nation. As per a BBC report, this incident took place as Sweden prepares for general elections for next month, wherein voter's concern over gang violence is at an all-time high. In Europe, Sweden continues to have one of the highest rates of gun related killings and death. 

Sweden shooting

According to a report issued by the Swedish government last year, four out of every million people in Sweden every year get killed in shooting-related incidents. The average number of individuals per million residents in Europe is 1.6. 

Furthermore, shootings have also increased outside of the nation's major cities this year, as gang violence, which authorities say is frequently tied to the shootings, extends farther afield. According to authorities, the main reasons for the violence include poor immigrant integration, growing economic inequality, and rising drug usage. 

Magdalena Andersson, the Prime Minister of Sweden, stated earlier this year that gang violence was a result of a lack of integration. Meanwhile, the police head in Orebro, a smaller city, said that additional gangs had emerged and that they had grown more vicious following a recent wave of shootings there. 

This might be an issue for the ruling Social Democrats, who according to their rivals have failed to stem the tide of gang violence during their eight years in office. However, the ruling party claims that new measures aimed at criminal groups and the growth of the police force would assist address the issue. 

(Image: AP)