17-Year-Old Sentenced to Nearly 11 Years for the Murder of 16-Year-Old Rio Berg Aygün in Stockholm

In early March 2025, 16-year-old Rio Berg Aygün was tragically shot and killed near Fruängen subway station in southern Stockholm, an incident that led to the conviction and sentencing of a 17-year-old shooter. The shooting occurred as Rio was returning home from the gym with friends, and at least nine shots were fired at the group, according to investigations. Rio suffered a gunshot wound to the head and died in hospital two days later. One of his friends was also injured in the leg.

The suspect, who was 16 at the time of the crime but now 17, was apprehended shortly after the incident while attempting to take a taxi and was found with a loaded pistol and an empty magazine. Despite having a deportation order and previously being stopped by police, he was released weeks before the shooting. The Södertörn District Court sentenced him to 10 years and 10 months in prison for murder and attempted murder, noting that had he been an adult at the time, a life sentence would have been warranted.

Additional convictions were handed down to two 19-year-old women and a 15-year-old boy who assisted the shooter by booking a taxi for him. Authorities determined that neither Rio nor his friends had criminal gang affiliations or known threats against them, highlighting this as a tragic case of mistaken shooting without gang connections.

During the trial, Rio’s mother, Anneli, spoke of her son's positive energy and social nature, emphasizing the support from the community. The court found that the shooter claimed to have been misled about the targets and had been threatened by accomplices. Moreover, the shooter had a prior conviction for attempted murder related to a previous shooting attempt.

He is now banned from returning to Sweden for ten years, although the court acknowledged the gravity of his crimes could have justified a longer ban. The verdict marks the conclusion of an intensely followed case that shone a spotlight on youth violence and the consequences of firearm-related crimes in Stockholm.