A 16-year-old boy is detained on probable grounds suspected of murdering the three young men and boys who were found shot dead at a hair salon a stone's throw from the central station on Tuesday afternoon.
We know from experience that when a shooting occurs, the odds are extremely low that a new one will occur in close proximity, says Jale Poljarevius, regional intelligence chief in police region Mitt.
Walpurgis Eve passed without gang-related violence. That it remains so is of "extremely high priority", he emphasizes.
Concretely, it means that we work information-driven with visits, house searches, and controls and actively search for weapons, hand grenades, and so on to kill an eventual rising wave of violence.
Alarming history
There are alarming reference points. In 2019, Uppsala was hit by the most shootings per capita. Four years later, the murder of gang leader Ismail Abdo's mother triggered what Poljarevius describes as "black September" with a long series of murders, shootings, and explosions.
If the immediate measures are about cooling down, it's about preparing for succession in the long run. A number of the most prominent gang leaders in recent years come from Uppsala and its surroundings. Today, everyone knows Ismail Abdo and Rawa Majid – friends who became mortal enemies and control their networks from abroad.
Among today's leading actors, there are people who long went under the police radar. That must not be repeated, says Poljarevius.
Their empires will also fall in this constantly ongoing game without rules. Then the question is who will fill the vacuum, and we must look at who are the crown princes.
"Information trails"
Parts of the violence that unfolds on the streets of Uppsala and Swedish cities can be traced back to powerful gang leaders abroad. But fragmentation has resulted in a multitude of smaller local constellations with their own conflicts.
To keep close tabs on them as well, says Poljarevius, is crucial to defend against today's violence – and give hints about the future. Then it's about having one's ear to the ground on the arenas where the criminals are.
They leave behind information trails that are extremely important to pick up. When we then make a thorough analysis, it can crystallize which individuals can become extremely dangerous in the future.
