A deadly shooting in central Uppsala, Sweden, has triggered a large-scale police response, with three confirmed dead and authorities launching what they call a “special incident” to mobilize resources.
The shooting occurred in broad daylight shortly after 5 p.m. near Vaksala Square, just hours before thousands were expected to gather for Walpurgis and May Day festivities.
“This is a very serious incident,” said police spokesperson Magnus Jansson Klarin. “Three people have been confirmed dead.” The victims had not been identified as of late Tuesday evening.
The area near a local hair salon quickly became the focus of an intense police effort, with helicopters deployed, door-to-door inquiries underway, and crime scene cordons set up.
One eyewitness told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that on his way to the shop, he saw a masked individual on an electric scooter moments before gunfire erupted. “I saw him come around a corner, and then it started to bang,” he said. The man fled to the Uppsala concert and congress center for safety. “You panic. After a while, I went back again, and then it was total chaos at the place.”
Another witness, who was in a playground with her son about 30 meters from the scene, initially mistook the sounds for something harmless. “At first, I didn’t understand what it was that banged so loudly,” she said. “But when I saw and heard the police helicopter and talked to other parents, it dawned on me. I don’t feel scared myself, but of course, it gets scary when it happens here.”
A resident who lives near the site of the shooting heard five to six shots around 5:10 p.m., followed by screaming. “Then it took about 10 minutes before the police arrived. It was on the street as far as I could see,” the witness said of the attack.
“We have information about a person on an electric scooter who left the scene,” police said. “If you have information about this, you are welcome to contact us. We are looking for one or more perpetrators.”
Police have not disclosed any information about the gender or age of the victims at the time of writing.
Investigators recovered initial evidence from the scene, believed to be cartridge casings on the ground.
Authorities are taking the proximity to the May Day celebrations seriously, as tens of thousands of people are expected to gather across Uppsala. Police spokesperson Klarin reassured the public, saying, “We see no danger to the public here now. I want to be careful to emphasize that, as many people are out celebrating.”
Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer described the attack as “extraordinarily serious” in a written statement. “The police are on site, and an intensive investigation is underway. The Ministry of Justice is in close contact with the police and is following the development of events closely.”
As of late Tuesday night, no arrests had been made, and the motive remains unknown.
The attack comes just two days after a mother and her young daughter were seriously injured when a grenade was launched through the bedroom window of a residential property in Tumba, south of Stockholm, on Sunday evening. Authorities believe the incident was a gang-related attack on the wrong home.
Shootings and explosions have become commonplace across Sweden in recent years, reaching record highs as gang warfare intensifies and recruitment drives target the younger generation.
By the end of January this year, Remix News reported how 32 explosions had been recorded across the country already in 2025 — an average of more than one per day.
Swedish government data published in October last year revealed how three out of four murders in the country are now committed by migrants, and the rate of gun murders per capita in Stockholm is 30 times that of London.
