The proportion of shootings in densely populated areas is increasing

In August, ten people were shot dead.

It marks the bloodiest month so far this year, police statistics show.

Since 2018, 169 people have been killed in the wake of firearms violence.

At the same time, the risk of innocents being affected by gang violence increases, according to previous studies.

SVT's survey shows that shootings in public places in densely populated areas are becoming increasingly common.

From 175 cases in 2018, to 220 shootings in 2020.

Until the end of August this year, 141 shootings have taken place in densely populated areas.

This represents just over 64 percent of all shootings this year and shows an increase in the share by approximately ten percentage points since 2018.

"Where to find your enemies"  

Amir Rostami, associate professor of criminology, studies organized crime in Sweden and is not surprised by the increase.

He says that people who know they have a threat are harder to find.

Therefore, gangs are not stopped by the risk of third parties being hit by shots.  

- You try to reach the people when they are not prepared - when they are sitting in a car, when they eat at a restaurant, when they move in a square.

For that reason, they become the public places where you find your enemies, he says.  

Increases in smaller cities 

The shootings in Stockholm account for a predominant share of the increase.

There, the number of shootings in densely populated areas has almost doubled between 2019 and 2020.  

But if one disregards the metropolitan regions of Stockholm, Västra Götaland and Skåne, police statistics show another pattern: shootings in densely populated areas are also increasing in other parts of the country.

Only until the end of August this year, 42 such shootings have occurred, which is more than during the whole of 2018 when 34 shootings took place.

Risks reducing trust  

The degree of clearance during the shootings is relatively low.

According to Amir Rostami, this can have the consequence that people's trust in the legal community is damaged and that the fear of being affected increases.  

- The big risk I see is that people lose confidence in the state's ability to maintain order and security. If you have a neighbor who has been murdered, if you know someone who has been innocent and affected by this, how would you feel?