The first incident occurred late in the evening on July 20. Fire was opened with a semi-automatic pistol at a residential property in Södertälje. Police forensics found at least 13 bullet holes that went through the door and window.
At least one person was in the residence but managed to escape the shots. Witnesses saw the shooter flee on an electric scooter.
Two days later, on July 22, a hand grenade was thrown into a shop in Södertälje. Several customers were in the premises shopping. The grenade hit a woman’s leg and bounced under the cash register where it exploded. The woman, who is aged 55, was seriously injured. According to the prosecutor, she survived by the luck that the grenade bounced on.
Aimed at a family in Södertälje
A 27-year-old man and two 17-year-old boys were charged on Monday on suspicion of involvement in the violent crimes. The two incidents are two of several linked to the same target, a family in Södertälje, this summer. The background is a conflict between two phalanxes in the Södertälje network.
– I mean that the explosion was aimed at the same plaintiff as in the shooting at the residence. But the blast instead hit other people who were in the store, resulting in a woman suffering serious shrapnel injuries. The outcome could have been much worse if the hand grenade had not bounced under the cash register, says state prosecutor Ida Arnell in a press release.
When the police began to investigate the shooting and the explosions, they saw a pattern. Just before and after each crime, a taxi was booked to the locations. The bookings were made in the name of the now 27-year-old man. He is therefore suspected of aiding and abetting the crimes.
Taxi booker charged with aiding and abetting
One of the two 17-year-olds is charged with having been the perpetrator of the hand grenade attack. According to the prosecutor, he picked up three hand grenades in a taxi, went to the grocery store, threw one of the grenades in and fled. The other two were hidden at an apartment building in Södertälje. He is suspected of attempted murder, aggravated destruction of public property and serious breach of the Act on Flammable and Explosive Goods.
The other 17-year-old boy is on trial on suspicion of aiding and abetting the explosion after “promoting” the attack by, among other things, being involved in planning the execution in encrypted chats. In the second place, he is charged with failure to disclose gross destruction of public danger, after having knowledge that the act would take place but without having contacted the police.
The police have managed to secure a series of encrypted Signal chats in the suspects’ mobile phones. There, the violent tasks were handed out, while it was discussed how to carry them out and how much they would get in compensation. Among other things, you get a bonus for each person who is injured.
– Brother we take the assignment, the 17-year-old who is charged as the executor according to the prosecutor, should write to the helper of the same age.
Wanted to eat at McDonalds after the crime
In another group conversation, hours before the store explosion, it was written:
Unknown User: Guys. Throw. Apples
According to the prosecutor, one of the 17-year-olds: throw an apple?
Unknown: Grenade yani. Blasting
The suspected perpetrator wrote to the peer:
– Brother, we do the work. They asked to throw a grenade. Not the worst
The boy accused of aiding and abetting in a later chat:
– Aaaa soft hope we get a hvb home tsm
– WE CAN NT BACK GEL, replies the suspected executor. Later that evening he is said to have written:
– EYYYY DO YOU THINK WE CAN CATCH THE DONK AFTER
The trial starts in Södertälje district court later in November.