Three dead from shooting in Swedish city of Uppsala

Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer described the incident as "extremely serious." Police initially declined to comment on whether the crime was connected to the years-long gang war between drug gangsters in the country. According to the television station SVT, one of the victims is a suspect in a planned attack on a family member of a gang leader.

Uppsala Mayor Erik Pelling told AFP he was "shocked and dismayed" by the events. He was also "angry" and "frustrated that we have not been able to get the problem under better control."

Problems with gang crime

The fatal attack occurred one day before the Valborg Festival, which is celebrated annually in Uppsala. According to police spokesman Magnus Jansson Klarin, around 100,000 to 150,000 visitors are expected in the city. "People shouldn't be afraid to come tomorrow," the spokesman said. There is no danger to the population.

A gang war over drug trafficking has been raging in Sweden for years, repeatedly leading to violent reckonings. The perpetrators are often young people under the age of 15, who are hired as killers because they are not yet considered criminally responsible in Sweden.

In February, Sweden experienced the most serious gun attack in recent memory. An attacker shot and killed ten people at an educational center in Örebro and then shot himself. The motive for the attack could not be determined.