A Swedish court on Monday sentenced four teenagers to prison for their involvement in a shooting that targeted the Gothenburg office of Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems in 2024.
The incident occurred on October 10 when a 13-year-old boy opened fire at the entrance of the Elbit facility, located in Sweden’s second-largest city.
He was swiftly arrested following the attack but was not prosecuted due to his age — Sweden’s criminal responsibility threshold is 15. The attack did not result in any injuries.
While the court’s verdict did not address the motive behind the shooting, it focused on the roles played by the older teenagers who orchestrated the act.
According to the Gothenburg district court, the four convicted individuals were responsible for recruiting the young boy, providing him with the firearm, and coordinating the assault.
One of the convicted, a 19-year-old, was sentenced to five years for charges including “involving a minor in a crime,” aiding a weapons offense, and aiding an unlawful threat.
Another 19-year-old received an identical five-year term, while a third was sentenced to four years and 11 months. The fourth convict, aged 15, was placed in juvenile detention for one year and eight months.
The court also revealed that the individual believed to have masterminded the operation remains unidentified.
This shooting followed an earlier security threat at the same Elbit Systems location. In June 2023, Swedish authorities discovered two insulated flasks containing plastic explosives near the premises, prompting the arrest and detention of three suspects connected to that attempted attack.
Elbit Systems is one of Israel’s major arms manufacturers, recognized globally for its unmanned aerial systems, particularly the Hermes 900 drone, a flagship asset in the Israeli military’s arsenal and a prominent export.
The October 2023 outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas — initiated by a Hamas-led assault that killed around 1,200 people, has sparked a series of hostile acts against Israeli-linked entities in Sweden.
In one such incident in mid-May 2024, gunshots were reported outside the Israeli embassy, leading Swedish authorities to tighten security around Israeli and Jewish institutions.
Later that same month, Sweden’s intelligence agency, Sapo, alleged that Iran had begun enlisting members of local criminal gangs to “commit acts of violence” targeting Israeli and related interests, an accusation that Iran has denied.
Amid escalating tensions, concerns have surged over the safety of Scandinavia’s Jewish population, estimated at 25,000. In response to the rising threat, neighboring Norway elevated its terrorism alert to the second-highest level.
