A woman in her mid-50s was killed in a villa in Boden on Christmas Day, with two people taken to hospital with unknown injuries. The suspected perpetrator, a man in his 20s, was shot dead by police during an arrest attempt. The incident is being investigated as murder and attempted murder, leaving the neighborhood in shock.
On Christmas Day, just before noon, police were called to a villa in a quiet residential area in central Boden due to a suspected assault. At the scene, a woman in her mid-50s was found dead, and two other people were taken to hospital. According to police, the suspected man, in his 20s, had used a blunt object to injure the victims.
When police arrived to arrest the man, a situation arose leading them to fire effective shots at him. The man died at the scene. 'Police encountered a suspected perpetrator who was to be arrested. A situation then arose leading to the firing of effective shots,' says Marie Andersson, spokesperson for the North police region.
Police state there is initially no known connection between the perpetrator and the victims. 'We are not aware of any previous link between the man and the three people at the scene,' Andersson adds. The incident is being investigated as murder and attempted murder, while the police shooting is reviewed separately by the Special Prosecutor's Office and the police department for special investigations.
Neighbors in the idyllic villa area are shocked by what happened. 'It feels awful and unsettling. Christmas Eve was yesterday and it should be a nice holiday, and then this happens,' says Madeleine Ström, who has lived in the area for seven years. Another neighbor heard screams in the morning and later shots: 'Two shots, quite close together.' The area is cordoned off, and police are seeking witness statements. No danger to the public is assessed.
