Police first responded to reports of a shooting at a market in Trelleborg, in the Ehrenbuschsgatan area. Four people had to be been transported to nearby hospitals, according to a Swedish police report. The incident is not being treated as a terror attack by Swedish authorities, police said late Thursday night, local time. Shortly after, they reported that several suspects had been taken into custody for questioning.
Speaking to local media, a police spokesman clarified that only two of the injured people sustained gunshot wounds, while the other two hospitalized patients "have other types of injuries."
"And then we have talked about the possibility of a fifth" person wounded, the official said, adding that the police have yet to confirm this and an ambulance is ready to respond if the need arises. "All of the injured are men," according to a police report. The injured people's ages have not been disclosed.
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The area is known to have incidents of gang violence, according to social media users.
"We have received several reports of a shooting in Trelleborg," a police spokesperson was quoted saying by UK media.
"When we arrived on the scene, several people with gunshot injuries were found," the spokesperson said, adding, "we are blocking certain areas and will conduct an investigation. A major police operation is underway." Residents have been advised by law enforcement to avoid the central part of the town. Police dogs and forensics crews are on-site, Skane police said.
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The southern Swedish town hosts a population of approximately 40,000 residents.
In July, three people were shot in the nearby city of Malmo, Sweden. After being hospitalized, it was reported that each injured person had been known by police for their involvement in drug trafficking.
Note: This story was updated at 6:43 p.m. to reflect a statement from Swedish authorities about the number of injured people and what police knew about the nature of the injuries.
