Three people were killed in a shooting at a hair salon in the Swedish city of Uppsala, police said. The incident took place at a salon near Växjö Square in the city center on Tuesday (April 29). The day of the accident was the day before Sweden’s Walpurgis spring festival, when thousands of people take to the streets to celebrate the festival. Uppsala is located north of the Swedish capital Stockholm and is a famous university city. Local media in the country reported that the attacker fired shots and fled on a scooter and is still at large.
Police have cordoned off the area and are investigating the incident as a homicide. “Everything happened very quickly. Suddenly, there was a ‘bang bang bang’ sound,” one witness told Swedish TV channel TV4. Another said he was cooking at home when he heard two explosions that sounded like firecrackers in the street. Within moments, police and ambulances arrived, blocked the road and evacuated everyone.
Police said a major operation was underway to catch the attacker. Helicopters were also involved in the search. Train services were temporarily suspended to prevent the perpetrator from escaping. Trains have now resumed. Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmar described the incident as “brutal violence” in an interview with TV4. The Swedish police said on their website that while there was public concern ahead of the Walpurgis festival, they initially believe it was an isolated incident and that there was currently no risk to the general public.
It is worth noting that in February this year, 10 people were killed in a shooting at an adult education center in the Swedish city of Örebro. Gang violence and shootings have been on the rise in the country in recent years, leading the government to plan to tighten gun laws.
Source: BBC