Sweden’s Gang Crisis: Bombings, Teen Hitmen, and a Nation on Edge
19th September 2025
Sweden, once regarded as one of Europe’s most peaceful nations, is now grappling with levels of gang violence unprecedented on the continent.
According to Euronews, Stockholm is one of the most dangerous cities in Europe: it has recorded 55 shootings up until August this year, resulting in nine deaths, while nationwide, there have been 113 incidents, leaving 33 people dead.
The country has become a hotspot for drug gangs that often deploy teenage hitmen and makeshift explosives in their violent turf wars.
The scale of the problem is not confined to the capital. Malmö, Gothenburg, and Uppsala are also scarred by shootings, bombings, and killings linked to rival groups.
Sweden’s homicide rate involving firearms ranked third highest in Europe in 2022, behind only Montenegro and Albania. This marks a stark departure from the country’s historic image of Nordic order and stability.