12-year-old Contract Killer Suspect Shocks Sweden

Sweden has been rocked by a shocking case in which a 12-year-old boy is suspected of killing a 21-year-old man in the southern city of Malmö, amid growing concern over the involvement of minors in serious violent crime.

The investigation is still ongoing, but police believe the child was part of a group tasked with carrying out a contract killing. The murder weapon has not yet been recovered.

National Police Commissioner Petra Lund said it was the first time she had encountered a murder case involving a suspect so young. While minors in Sweden have previously been linked to crimes such as bombings, weapons transport and carrying out orders for criminal networks, she said, this was unprecedented in terms of a homicide investigation.

According to the newspaper Sydsvenskan, the boy himself contacted police on December 13, just hours after the shooting, identifying himself and describing what had happened that night. Four people were shot during the incident, and a 21-year-old man later died of his injuries.

The victim, who had recently been released from prison after serving a sentence for robbery, was found with a gunshot wound to the head inside a car. He was taken to Malmö hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

Police arrested the 12-year-old on Tuesday on suspicion of one count of murder and three counts of attempted murder. Due to his age, he has been placed in custody under special provisions for minors. Senior prosecutor Karolin Karlqvist said a preliminary investigation is under way and that the boy has been questioned in the presence of a legal guardian.

Broader Criminal Links and Social Background:

Authorities believe more people were involved in the attack and are searching for accomplices as well as the individual who ordered the killing. The newspaper Expressen reported that the boy had allegedly been promised 250,000 Swedish kronor (about €23,000) to carry out the murder. It also said he had escaped from a care institution in western Sweden days before his arrest.

According to Aftonbladet, the child had been under the supervision of social services due to concerns about his family environment. Documents cited by the paper point to incidents of violence, abuse and criminal behavior in his household. Since the age of seven, the boy had reportedly been placed in the care of a relative.

The same report suggests the 12-year-old may have been involved in other criminal activities, heightening alarm among Swedish authorities over the growing recruitment of children by organized crime networks.

Police say the investigation continues as they work to map the full scope of the case and those behind it.