Sweden arrests 1 suspect after fatal shooting in Uppsala

ISTANBUL

A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of involvement in a triple shooting at a Swedish hair salon that left three young people dead, police said Wednesday.

The suspect, who is under the age of 18, is being held on probable cause on suspicion of murder, according to Erik Akerlund, the police chief in Uppsala, where the shooting took place, public broadcaster SVT reported.

On Tuesday, police were alerted around 5 pm local time (1500GMT) to a shooting near Vaksala Square, where three people, all believed to be age 15-20, were found dead inside the salon.

"A total of three people were found shot and deceased inside the hair salon," Akerlund told reporters following the attack.

Following the incident, authorities launched a special operation and conducted a large number of witness interviews, he added.

One of the victims had previously been linked to an investigation concerning an attack targeting a relative of Ismail Abdo, an alleged known gang leader. However, investigators have not confirmed any direct connection to gang-related violence.

Akerlund said that while police cannot confirm a clear link to ongoing gang conflicts, that possibility is being investigated "particularly intensively."

In February, 11 people were killed in a shooting in Orebro – a city 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of the capital, Stockholm – targeting an adult education center.