The court in Huddinge near Stockholm has sentenced 20-year-old Polish national Miłosz O. and his 20-year-old accomplice Ronnie D. to life in prison for shooting two random individuals with an automatic weapon and attempting to murder 17 passersby.
The shooting took place in June 2023 in a crowded square outside the shopping center in Farsta, Stockholm. Miłosz O. was drove a stolen BMW and acquired the weapon, while Ronnie D. admitted to firing a series of 20 shots. During the trial, he explained that he had acted under duress. The Pole admitted only that he had been present at the scene of the shooting.
The court stated that the investigation showed that both men had "acted on behalf of persons associated with the criminal network" and "their aim was to shoot members of a rival gang".
"The shooting was related to the ongoing wave of violence in the Stockholm region, and its occurrence on a Saturday afternoon in the crowded square in Farsta was particularly senseless. The actions of the defendants demonstrate their complete indifference to human life," Judge Agneta Kornstrand stressed.
The prosecution failed to determine who was supposed to be shot. According to investigators, the shooting was likely ordered by the Foxtrot gang, conflicted with the Dalen group which was trying to take control of the Farsta district.
The Pole, who does not hold Swedish citizenship, is to be deported to Poland.
The court also sentenced two young men for complicity. Related to one another, the men were held responsible for carrying out "reconaissance missions" ahead of the shooting. They were served 15 years and 10 months and 12 years and 10 months in prison, respectively.
The convicts are also required to pay high compensation to the families of the victims.
A 15-year-old boy and a 43-year-old man were killed in the shooting, and four others were injured. The crime shocked Sweden. People laid flowers and lit candles in the square for a long time after the tragedy. Politicians promised further tightening of the law in the fight against gangs.
Miłosz O. and Ronnie D. were apprehended on the same day after a police chase outside the city of Soedertaelje. The men fled in a car, reaching speeds of up to 200 km/h. Police testified that the suspects threatened them with a weapon.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: PAP/EPA/Anders Wiklund/TT