Gun violence decreased in Sweden last year. At the same time, the year ended with a historically high number of explosions – and 2025 has started in the same vein.
The explosions follow their own pattern and usually have different motives than the shootings, according to Manne Gerell, who researches gang violence at Malmö University.
Partly, it can be about different types of targets. Explosions are generally used more often to send a signal rather than to try to kill someone – for example, to intimidate, threaten, and extort. It's a fairly clear and important difference, he says.
To some extent, he adds, the explosions may depend on which conflicts between criminal networks are currently raging, where certain networks simply prefer explosions.
Extortion
In the Stockholm area, which was hit by around ten explosions in January, the police link several incidents to extortion against entrepreneurs. Gerell emphasizes that the boundaries between personal and economic motives often blur in the criminal world.
A fairly common modus has been to place a bomb outside a restaurant or nightclub that either has a connection to some criminal network one is in conflict with, or which one wants to threaten or extort money from.
Another important factor is access to explosives, as well as knowledge and ability to use them.
If a large shipment of hand grenades suddenly becomes available to many criminal networks, then more will use them.
But if, for example, the guy who builds bombs with car batteries gets caught by the police, then you'll probably see fewer such bombs. It's not everyone who can build such a bomb. That type of simple and banal connection should not be underestimated.
Fluid Boundaries
Some explosions are carried out with hand grenades or simple explosive charges that do not require any prior knowledge. Others are more advanced and built by specialists, whose customer base often includes various criminal networks.
Many types of actors in the criminal world, perhaps especially specialists, tend to have fluid affiliations. You work project-based and work for many different ones.
