Sweden Sees Sharp Drop in Shootings Amid Rising Child Involvement in Crime

Sweden has experienced a significant decrease in shootings for the third consecutive year, with police recording 151 incidents from January to November 2025. This is nearly a 50% drop from 296 shootings reported in 2024 and an even steeper decline compared to 368 in 2023. Criminologist Sven Granath, affiliated with the Stockholm police and Stockholm University, attributes this decline primarily to reduced conflicts within criminal networks and intensified police efforts, including arresting more violent offenders and enhanced international collaborations targeting gang leaders. Additionally, there has been an increase in weapons confiscations.

Despite the decline in shootings, Sweden faces growing concerns over the escalating involvement of children under 15 in violent crime. The number of children suspected of participating in murder plots rose sharply to 158 in the first eleven months of 2025, compared to 109 in the same period of 2024, and only 36 in 2023. Many of these youths come from disadvantaged backgrounds and often have neurodevelopmental disorders, making them more vulnerable to recruitment by criminal groups.

Granath highlights that modern communication technology plays a critical role in this trend, as smartphones allow criminals easier access to young, vulnerable individuals. He suggests that restricting smartphone use for children under 15 could be an effective measure to curb their exposure to criminal networks. Granath further draws parallels between this exploitation and the dynamics of the gig economy, where individuals from lower socio-economic groups are similarly targeted.

While personal conflict-related violence has reduced, Granath notes an increase in bombings linked to extortion and unpaid debts within the criminal underworld, indicating persistent underlying tensions despite the overall decline in shootings.

This dual trend of decreasing violent confrontations alongside growing youth criminal involvement presents complex challenges for Swedish law enforcement and social policymakers. The situation calls for targeted interventions addressing both enhanced police strategies and social measures to protect vulnerable young populations from exploitation via technology.