Six people arrested after three shot dead in Sweden

After the shootings, police cordoned off the area near the hair salon

Swedish police have arrested six people in connection with a suspected triple murder at a hair salon in the city of Uppsala.

Those arrested range in age from under 18 to 45, according to the state prosecutor's office. One is suspected of carrying out the killings on Tuesday evening.

A 16-year-old who had been arrested hours after the incident was released on Friday.

The three victims shot dead in the salon were between the ages of 15 and 20. The attack came on the eve of the Walpurgis spring festival, when large crowds descended on the streets of Uppsala.

Police are investigating the possibility that the shooting was related to gang crime.

The father of one of the victims told state-run broadcaster STV on Saturday that his 15-year-old son had asked him to transfer money so he could have a haircut ahead of the Walpurgis celebrations. That was the last he heard from his son.

"He was a really nice boy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It could have happened to anyone," the father said.

One of those killed was reportedly known to the police, local media said.

The victim was involved in a police investigation over a planned attack against a relative of gang leader Ismail Abdo, according to the reports. The person was never charged.

Uppsala, a university town north of Stockholm, has long been the base of Abdo and rival gang leader Rawa Majida.

A new chapter in their turf wars began in 2023, when Abdo's mother was murdered at her home.

Sweden has seen a wave of teenage gang crime in recent years, with suspects accused of a range of offences from vandalism to murder.

The Swedish government has proposed new legislation that would allow police to wiretap children under the age of 15 in an attempt to grapple with the problem.