Gambiaj.com – (UPPSALA, Sweden) – An 18-year-old (name withheld) involved in the violent Södertälje gang network in Sweden has been sentenced to six years and ten months in prison for the murder of a rival gang member. Following his prison term, he is set to be deported to Gambia, despite having been born and raised in Sweden, a decision that has stirred debate due to his stateless status and lack of prior connections to The Gambia.

The young man, a member of the notorious Saltskogsfalangen gang, was convicted of fatally shooting a man associated with the rival Ronna-falangen faction during an incident in March 2023. On the evening of the crime, the teen traveled from his residence in Uppsala to an apartment in Flemingsberg, Stockholm, where he shot the victim eight times in front of the man’s family, including his partner and child.

Authorities believe the victim had unknowingly let the shooter into the building, thinking he was meeting a friend, making it likely the man fell into a deadly trap.

Initially, the teen denied involvement, but later admitted his guilt in the Court of Appeal, reducing his sentence by two months. He was sentenced as a juvenile due to his age at the time of the crime, leading to a significantly lighter prison term compared to what an adult would have faced for such a heinous act.

The court’s ruling also included a lifelong deportation order, a rare measure in Sweden. Though the 18-year-old was born in Sweden, he holds no Swedish citizenship and is registered as stateless by Swedish authorities.

The court, however, determined that he could be classified as a Gambian citizen based on his family background. Despite the severity of the crime, social services had previously attempted to rehabilitate him, but the court concluded that all efforts had failed and the risk of him re-offending was high.

This case is part of a larger context of escalating gang violence in Sweden, where tensions between rival factions, such as Saltskogsfalangen and Ronna-falangen, have led to an increase in murders and violent crime. Another individual involved, Samuel Sinyan, 21, who played a role in planning the murder, was sentenced to 14 years for aiding the murder and related offenses.

The deportation order has drawn attention to Sweden’s handling of gang-related crimes, particularly involving young offenders with complex citizenship statuses. Authorities remain firm in their stance, stating that deportation is warranted due to the extreme nature of the crime and the high likelihood of re-offense.