It is approaching the evening of June 10, 2023. 15-year-old Elias has just said goodbye to his father Oussama and left the apartment in Farsta to go to a funfair.
Shortly after 18, Oussama receives a text message from his second son who writes that he hears gunshots downtown. Oussama calls and texts Elias, but gets no answer.
– As a parent, you have a feeling that something is not right. I ran down and got the car and got there. It was chaos. Helicopter, cops. He didn’t answer, says Oussama.
On the spot, Oussama hears from someone that Elias was hit by the shots. But he doesn’t see his son in the square, it’s full of people and police in the way.
– I didn’t even know if he was dead. But someone said it. I had the feeling that he is hit, but not dead. They said he’s on the floor and might be dead. I always had hope that he was alive.
Four men are charged
Elias was a few meters from the Farsta centrum subway, when two young men drove up in a car – and one started shooting with an automatic weapon.
Over 20 shots were fired and a riot broke out. Several people were hit by the shots. Two died: 43-year-old Tesfamichal Beraki, whom TV4 Nyheterna previously told about – and 15-year-old Elias.
On Tuesday, four men were charged with the crime. Two of them, both 19 years old, and a 20-year-old are suspected of double murder, 17 attempted murders and causing danger to another. A third 19-year-old is suspected of aiding and abetting the crimes.
According to prosecutor Angelica Runesson, who TV4 Nyheterna has spoken to, the police investigation has not succeeded in establishing that any of those hit by the bullets were the actual targets.
Oussama says Elias and his friends had no connection to crime.
– The motive is unclear. All they say is that he was in the wrong place. Or wrong and wrong, you shouldn’t shoot someone just like that.
Father Oussama with his son Elias who was killed in Farsta
Father Oussama with his son Elias who was killed in Farsta
Photo: Private
“I will never be as happy as before”
Ten months have passed since Elias died. Papa Oussama’s grief is still deep.
– It’s still hard, you try, but as soon as you see places, you get memories. You see him everywhere, his dog, when I go to Farsta IP, I see him running there. I try not to show it but inside me, it’s a wound that will never heal, I’ll never be happy like before, it doesn’t exist, says Oussama.
Tomorrow, April 10, Elias would have turned 16. Oussama remembers his son with warmth.
– Always happy, he always smiles, every picture, his smile. You have seen what his friends wrote about him on Tiktok in those days, it was only nice things. He was liked by all. I only remember him as a kind and nice boy, he never said anything ugly to me, never. He was so nice.