Minister warns violence still simmers after Södertälje shooting

A teenage boy was injured in a shooting in Södertälje on Monday evening, and two girls under 15 are among three people arrested in connection with the incident, SVT News reports. Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer said the violence was still “bubbling under the surface”.

The shooting took place on the day students returned to Ronnaskolan, a school in Södertälje, after the summer break.

The boy was found outdoors and his injuries are not life-threatening. Police arrested three people shortly afterwards on suspicion of, among other offences, attempted murder.

“First and foremost, I am thinking of the victim and his relatives,” Strömmer told SVT News on Tuesday. “If it turns out that the shooting is linked to the gang criminal environment, it would be a dark confirmation that even though shootings in Sweden have fallen by 80 percent, the violence is still there and bubbling under the surface.”

Strömmer said there was still a significant need for preventive work.