A 12‑year‑old boy in Malmö, Sweden, is under investigation after a shooting on the evening of December 12 left a 21‑year‑old dead, and the child himself called the police.
12‑Year‑Old Calls Police
On the evening of December 12, a 12‑year‑old boy in Malmö voluntarily contacted the police to inform them of the shooting and describe the events. Because he is under fifteen, he cannot be prosecuted in court and has been handed over to child‑welfare authorities for processing.
Fatal Shooting in Malmö
The incident took place Friday night in the Oxie district of Malmö. An unknown assailant fired at a vehicle carrying four people; a 21‑year‑old man seated in the rear seat was killed, while the other three occupants sustained no injuries. A local newspaper, Sydsvenskan, reported these details.
Possible Gang Recruitment
Swedish investigators doubt that the child acted alone and suspect that he was recruited by criminal elements, possibly through the internet.
Unofficial reports allege that he might have received a promise of a high payment for carrying out the commission. Media accounts note the boy’s troubled family background, long‑term supervision by social services, and prior placement in a foster family—conditions that are increasingly linked to violent offences by very young perpetrators.
Policy and Public Reaction
The case has shocked Swedish society and police. Police chief Petra Lundh stated that she had never before encountered a suspect so young.
She noted that gangs have long used children to transport weapons and explosives, and that the phenomenon is escalating. The shooting coincided with debates over a proposed law that would lower the age for criminal responsibility to 13‑15, a change critics warn could lead to more young people being recruited into crime.
