Uppsala: A deadly shooting in the Swedish city of Uppsala claimed the lives of three people on Tuesday, prompting authorities to launch a murder investigation. The incident, which occurred in the city center, unfolded just as locals were preparing for Walpurgis Night celebrations.
Police confirmed that the shooting is being treated as a homicide case. However, investigators currently have no evidence suggesting it was a terror attack or hate crime.
“We have information that a person left the scene on an electric scooter,” a police spokesperson told Reuters. “Whether this person is a perpetrator or a witness, or someone who has some connection to the incident, it is unclear at this time.”
Three people were killed in a shooting in Uppsala, Sweden. Police have launched a murder investigation, with no signs of terror or hate crime so far https://t.co/Q65SgvFqL7 pic.twitter.com/uUig84nrwp
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 30, 2025
Authorities have yet to identify the victims and have not commented on a possible motive. The use of electric scooters in violent crimes has become more common in Sweden, particularly in gang-related incidents, where they have been employed as quick escape vehicles.
Uppsala, located about 40 minutes north of Stockholm by car, has been the scene of multiple gang-related shootings over the past decade. However, such violence rarely occurs in the city’s central areas.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer issued a statement expressing deep concern over the violence and confirmed that the Justice Ministry was closely following the case.
“A brutal act of violence has occurred in central Uppsala … This is at the same time as the whole of Uppsala has begun Walpurgis Night. What has happened is extremely serious,” Strömmer said.
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The shooting was first reported after multiple calls from the public alerted police to gunfire in the city center. Emergency services responded swiftly. In a subsequent statement, police said, “Three people are confirmed dead after a shooting … The police are investigating the incident as a homicide.”
Eyewitnesses told Swedish broadcaster SVT that they heard five gunshots and saw people fleeing for cover. Several local media outlets, including TT, reported that the attack took place either near or inside a hair salon.
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This incident comes just months after Sweden witnessed its deadliest mass shooting in February, when ten people were killed in the city of Örebro by a 35-year-old lone gunman at an adult education center.
Sweden has faced an ongoing surge in gang-related violence for over a decade, often marked by gun violence and deadly shootings. The country’s right-wing minority government, which came to power in 2022 on a platform promising to curb such violence, has since enacted tougher laws and expanded police powers. Following the Örebro tragedy, officials also vowed to tighten gun control measures further.
