Teenager Admits to Playground Killing After Recruitment by Peer

A teenager aged 14 has admitted to fatally shooting a man in his thirties at a playground in the Ektorp district of Norrköping. The incident, which occurred in September last year, involved the victim being lured to the location and subsequently shot multiple times. The man died at the scene due to injuries to his head, neck, and chest.

According to investigation records, the 14-year-old confessed to being the shooter. During police interviews, he stated that he had been under the influence of drugs at the time of the attack and had been promised a payment of 260,000 kronor for carrying out the act. The teenager admitted that he initially tried to withdraw from the assignment but faced threats against his life, which compelled him to proceed. Surveillance footage later captured him at a nearby fast-food restaurant shortly after the incident.

Prior to the shooting, the young suspect's name had surfaced in a report to social services concerning suspected drug dealing. However, following a preliminary assessment, the municipality decided not to initiate a formal investigation. In the weeks following the shooting, additional criminal suspicions arose against the teenager.

Three weeks after the fatal shooting, the teenager reportedly attempted a second attack. According to investigators, he entered a gym with a clear objective, but swift intervention by the gym owner prevented another potential crime. Surveillance videos from the gym showed the owner escorting the boy out, with a previous attempted murder victim present inside the facility. Police believe the latter was the intended target in this second incident.

Authorities subsequently detained the 14-year-old, leading to the identification of several accomplices. Two men and one woman, all in their twenties, are accused of supporting the teenager by providing accommodation, food, and transportation in connection with the murder plans.

A second 14-year-old is also suspected of involvement in the playground killing. This individual is believed to be active within a criminal network and is alleged to have recruited the shooter, acting as an intermediary between those who commissioned the crime and its executioners.

The investigation also revealed that the primary suspect admitted to setting fire to the door of a residence in Norrköping two weeks after the shooting. There were also indications of plans for another murder, which police were able to thwart in time. Authorities have linked all these acts to an ongoing conflict related to narcotics, although the precise scale--whether local or part of a broader national dispute--remains unclear.

As both involved teenagers are below the age of criminal responsibility, their cases will be processed through a legal mechanism known as 'bevistalan,' whereby a court determines whether the child committed the act without imposing criminal penalties. Adult suspects involved in the case have been formally charged.

This case highlights the increasing involvement of minors in violent crimes, a trend reflected in recent statistics. In 2025, the number of children suspected of serious offenses without being of legal age more than doubled, including several cases of murder and attempted murder. This development has influenced national criminal justice policy, with new provisions allowing covert surveillance of individuals under 15 and proposals to introduce custodial sentences for children as young as 13.

Police and investigators have described the situation as a concerning development, noting the growing role of very young individuals in organized criminal activity, often motivated by financial incentives and pressure from criminal networks.

• Children under 15 suspected of serious crimes cannot be detained or prosecuted in the traditional sense. Instead, courts determine whether the child committed the act through a procedure similar to a trial, but no sentence is imposed.
• 'Bevistalan' is reserved for severe offenses with a minimum penalty of five years or in cases involving particularly reprehensible acts.