At 02:00 on the night of Friday, a police patrol guarding the Israeli embassy heard shots nearby. According to the Jewish congregation in Stockholm and information to both The Express and TV4 the embassy was the target of the shots.
A 14-year-old boy was arrested nearby minutes after the shots were fired and he is said to have taken a taxi to the scene. According to TV4 has two similar events occurred earlier this week.
Armed teenage boy stopped in taxi towards the embassy
On the night of Wednesday, the police reportedly stopped a teenage boy with a gun in a taxi in a municipality south of Stockholm. The destination must have been the Israeli embassy. On Thursday evening, a teenage boy was checked in the same municipality. He didn’t carry a weapon but had a taxi waiting for him which was also supposed to have been booked to the embassy.
According to TV4’s information, the police are investigating the events as having averted possible attacks against the embassy.
Neither the police in Stockholm nor the prosecutor want to give any comments on the information about averted crimes. However, the police announce that due to Friday night’s shooting they are increasing security around the Israeli embassy and other “Jewish and Israeli objects and interests throughout the country”.
Sharp dangerous object on the embassy grounds last winter
As recently as last winter, Israel’s embassy was attacked when what was deemed to be a sharp, dangerous object was found thrown into the embassy grounds. Säpo later announced that it is investigating the incident as a suspected terrorist crime. That investigation is still ongoing.
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The police cordoned off an area in Östermalm on Friday morning after suspected shooting on the night of Friday, including around the Israeli embassy. Photo: Tim Waage/SVT