Swedish Police Say Gothenburg Shooting Part of Major Gang Problem

Unknown gunmen opened fire at a bar in Gothenburg, Sweden, killing two men in their 20s and injuring at least eight people. Police considers this shooting as part of major gang problem in the country.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — There has long been a serious problem with violent gangs in the Swedish city of Gothenburg, local police said Thursday after a deadly shooting.

On Wednesday, unknown gunmen opened fire at a bar in Gothenburg, killing two men in their 20s and injuring at least eight people. The perpetrators fled the scene in a car and no one has yet been arrested.

“We have worked for several years with the serious situation in Gothenburg, where many have been murdered, many have been injured," police chief Klas Friberg told reporters.

"@RavenHUWolf: UpDate: Two people have died in shooting in #Goteborg, #Sweden, death toll rising. #Gothenburg pic.twitter.com/44wcdGVSbh"

— RiWired (@riwired) March 19, 2015

About 100 young men are in "various conflict environments, and constantly prepared to pursue crimes," according to Friberg. "They think crime 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is impossible for us to be everywhere at once."

He added that dozens of people, including minors, have been convicted of violent crimes over the past year and a half. In addition, local police have seized nearly 200 weapons, including automatic assault rifles, over this period.

According to local police, Wednesday's incident is likely related to ongoing gang conflicts. Earlier, a spokesman for Gothenburg police told Sputnik that sales and distribution of illegal drugs were likely a motivator in the shooting.