It was around 10 p.m. on Thursday that a lone perpetrator entered and fired his weapon at a crowded pub in Sandviken. Four people met. A visually impaired man in his 70s and a young man in his 20s died – the younger is believed to have been the perpetrator’s target.
– The other person we suspect has only been at the scene, says Magnus Jansson Klarin, press spokesperson at the police.
PO Bäcklin, 78, grew up with the visually impaired man, who is described as a regular at Mulligan’s pub where the fatal shooting took place.
– We last saw each other a few years ago, he was always happy and you always felt enormous warmth from him. He was one of the regulars here at the pub, the staff took such good care of him and I know they used to lead him home if he needed help with that, PO tells TV4 Nyheterna.
“Loved by all”
The friend describes the man who lost his life on Thursday evening as a very kind person.
– He was light-hearted, funny and strong as a bear, both physically and in his heart. He struggled and was happy in life. There was absolutely no evil in him. He was loved by everyone here and the pub was like his family, says the PO and continues:
– I can hardly think that he is no longer there, it is terrible. One wonders where we are going. I can’t find the words anymore. I have been crying all day.
The theory: Local conflict
At the moment, the police believe that it is a lone perpetrator, linked to a conflict in the local area.
– I cannot say more than that it is possibly a local conflict, either in Sandviken or in Gästrikland. Then, of course, we also look to see if it can be connected to a national issue, and we don’t see much sign of that at the moment, says Catarina Bowall, police chief Gävleborg.
During Friday, the police carried out a technical investigation, knocked on doors and heard witnesses. The shooting is being investigated as two cases of murder.