Copenhagen, 29 April 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Three people were killed by gunfire in Uppsala, Sweden, police said on Tuesday evening.

The victims have not yet been identified.

The police have launched a murder investigation.

It was not initially clear what led to the incident in Uppsala, a city some 70 kilometres north of the capital Stockholm.

Earlier, the police received several emergency calls.

Witnesses reported hearing loud gunshots.

The police cordoned off a large area. Rail traffic was temporarily suspended in the evening, according to Swedish radio broadcasts.

The suspected perpetrator, a man in a mask, fled on an electric scooter, according to reports. No arrests have yet been made.

The Swedish authorities have been struggling for years with criminal gangs and warfare involving explosions and deadly shootings.

While the number of firearms incidents has been declining lately, there have been more explosions in recent months.

Conflicts between rival gangs are causing violence as each seeks to intimidate the other. Some of the incidents are also part of attempts to blackmail individuals or companies. Often, the gangs recruit underage teenagers to carry out the offences.

According to earlier police estimates, more than 60,000 people in the Scandinavian country of 11 million inhabitants are believed to have connections to criminal gangs. In Uppsala, two young men were convicted last year in connection with rampant gang crime for the murder of the mother of a high-ranking gang member.

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