A Swedish court on Monday sentenced four teenagers to prison for their involvement in a shooting targeting an Israeli military technology company last year.
On October 10, 2024, a 13-year-old boy fired shots at the entrance of Elbit Systems’ office in Gothenburg, in south-western Sweden. The boy was arrested shortly afterwards but was not charged, as he was below Sweden’s age of criminal responsibility, set at 15.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
On Monday, the Gothenburg District Court convicted four others for their roles in recruiting the young boy, supplying the firearm, and organising the attack.
One 19-year-old was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for “involving a minor in a crime,” as well as aiding a weapons offence and an unlawful threat. Another 19-year-old received an identical five-year sentence, while a third was sentenced to four years and eleven months.
A 15-year-old was sentenced to one year and eight months in juvenile detention.
According to the prosecution, the individual who masterminded the attack remains unidentified, the court noted in its ruling.
Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023, Swedish authorities have reported several incidents apparently targeting Israeli interests.
In June 2024, police discovered a “suspected explosive device” outside the offices of Elbit Systems. In May 2024, gunfire was reported outside the Israeli embassy, leading to increased security measures around Israeli interests and Jewish community institutions.
Later that month, Sweden’s intelligence service, Sapo, alleged that Iran had been recruiting members of Swedish criminal gangs to carry out acts of violence against Israeli and other interests in Sweden—an allegation Tehran has denied.