Gun violence is on the rise in Sweden according to a report by national TV broadcaster SVT based on police records and its own investigations.
This year has seen 18 people shot in Sweden so far, compared to 5 in the same time span in 2021, 12 in 2020, 10 in 2019, and eight in 2018.
Most of the shootings are related to criminal gangs, according to the report.
The most recent victim was a man in his 50s who died of his wounds on Wednesday after being shot in a gym in Stockholm.
Organized crime has been an increasingly prevalent issue in Sweden in the last years, spreading from the large cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö to smaller towns.
Use of explosives
With the spread of organized crime, gun violence and targeted use of explosives has also been on the rise.
The Swedish crime prevention council Brå said on Thursday that the number of deadly gun attacks on men and boys rose to 43 in 2021, compared to 41 the year before.
The number of women and girls killed with firearms declined from seven to two in the same time period.
Overall, the number of people killed through violent crime decreased to 113 in 2021, compared to a record 124 deaths in 2020.
