The award-winning Swedish rapper Einár has died in a shooting incident in southern Stockholm.
The 19-year-old musician was struck by several bullets outside a building in the residential area of Hammarby Sjöstadin in the Swedish capital late on Thursday.
Stockholm police spokeswoman Towe Hagg told AFP that Einár was found seriously injured and died at the scene despite emergency treatment.
Swedish authorities are looking for at least two suspects who allegedly shot the rapper.
The motive of the shooting remains unclear but the police have not ruled out that the incident could be gang-related.
Shots were reported at around 22.50 on Thursday in a quiet suburb of Stockholm, police said in a statement.
A murder investigation has been opened and police are interviewing witnesses to identify a suspect or suspects.
“It is a young life that has been extinguished, and I understand that he has meant a lot to many young people,” said Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.
“It is tragic that another life has been taken,” he told reporters in Brussels.
Sweden’s Minister for Gender Equality and Housing Märta Stenevi added on Twitter that “violence must be stopped”.
Einár, whose real name was Nils Kurt Erik Einar Grönberg, was born in Stockholm and rose to fame at just 16 years old.
His song “Katten i trakten” — from the debut album “Forsta klass” — topped the Swedish charts in 2019.
The popular rapper was presented with the song of the year award in 2019 and the newcomer of the year award in 2020. Many of his hip-hop songs referred to crime, drugs, and even weapons.
Last year, he was targeted in an attempted kidnapping incident involving two rival rappers.
Yasin Mahamoud — known by his stage name Yasin — was sentenced to 10 months in prison at the trial in July in a major trial against organised crime that received widespread national attention.
Another rapper, Haval Khalil — known as “Haval”, was jailed for two and a half years for complicity in the kidnapping and robbery.
The court heard how the two men planned to meet Einár at a recording studio, and then lure him into a car to “harm his life or health” and blackmail him.
Although the plan was initially abandoned, the 19-year-old was abducted and assaulted weeks later.
Swedish media had reported that Einár was under protective measures after the incident, but has recently received several threats.
Sweden has seen a rise in organised crime activity in recent years and several shootings have occurred in Stockholm, Goteborg, and Malmo.
