15-Year-Old Sentenced for Contract Killing Mistaken Identity Murder in Uppsala
A 15-year-old boy was sentenced to youth care for the mistaken identity contract killing of Mohamed Ibrahim Ramadan Hussein in Uppsala, with a 17-year-old accomplice also convicted.
- • Mohamed Ibrahim Ramadan Hussein, a 52-year-old father, was fatally shot outside a restaurant in Uppsala in May 2025.
- • The 15-year-old shooter received vague orders to kill someone at the restaurant but killed the wrong person.
- • The shooter was sentenced to closed youth care; a 17-year-old accomplice was sentenced for aiding.
- • The court rejected expulsion of the shooter due to his strong ties to Sweden.
Key details
On May 13, 2025, Mohamed Ibrahim Ramadan Hussein, a 52-year-old father of nine, was fatally shot outside a restaurant in Uppsala in a tragic case of mistaken identity linked to a contract killing. The victim, who had recently emigrated from Egypt to support his family, was reportedly shot by a 15-year-old boy who had received vague orders to shoot someone at the restaurant. The boy, who confessed to the shooting, claimed he was coerced into committing the crime under threats from unknown individuals. However, the court ruled that coercion was not sufficient to absolve him of guilt and sentenced him to closed youth care instead of life imprisonment due to his age.
The victim was well-regarded in the Uppsala community, regularly attending the local mosque where he was described as polite and calm. According to prosecutor Andreas Nyberg, the victim was not the intended target but was approached by the shooter before being killed. The 15-year-old was arrested after fleeing the scene, discarding the murder weapon and a hand grenade into the Fyris River. He also faces charges for two explosions in Stockholm involving grenades and a bomb.
A 17-year-old accomplice was convicted for supplying the weapon used in the crime and sentenced similarly to closed youth care. Additionally, three other teenagers aged 15 to 17 have been charged with failing to report the murder. The court rejected calls for the 15-year-old shooter’s expulsion from Sweden, citing his strong connections to the country and lack of ties to his country of origin.
The case highlights complex issues surrounding juvenile crime, coercion, and mistaken identity, as well as the tragic consequences for innocent victims caught in criminal disputes. Despite his severe sentence, the young perpetrator will serve his time in youth care rather than face adult imprisonment, with Judge Karin Lambertz emphasizing that an adult in the same situation would likely receive life imprisonment.