A young woman is in serious condition after a shooting in Reykjavík yesterday, Vísir reports. The police authorities admit that gun-related crimes are a growing concern.
Nearly 80 police officers dispatched
A man and a woman were transported to the emergency ward with serious injuries following a shooting in the Grafarholt neighbourhood of Reykjavík yesterday morning. After an extensive manhunt, a man in his twenties was detained on Miklabraut, along with a suspected accomplice.
According to Vísir, the gunman fired shots from range at his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend. The woman was shot in her abdomen, the man in his thigh.
Do not pose a risk to the public
When asked if the attack had been premeditated, Margeir Sveinsson, Assistant Chief of the Capital Area Police, refused to speculate. “We have two suspects in custody, and we’re looking into it.”
Both of the suspects are in their thirties and have a criminal record. One of the men has spent a portion of his adult life in prison, according to Vísir. The police will seek continued custody over the suspects.
“We don’t believe that the men pose a risk to the public; the violence was contained within a certain group, and the attack was aimed at certain people. This is not to say that bystanders weren’t in jeopardy,” Margeir remarked.
Gun-related crime a growing concern
The shooting yesterday marked the second time in less than a year that a person has been shot in Iceland. In February of last year, a man was shot dead outside his home in Rauðagerði, Reykjavík. This summer, an armed man was shot by the police in Egilsstaðir in East Iceland.
“It’s not been long since a similar shooting took place,” Margeir told Vísir. “We take this very seriously, and we are, to say the least, not thrilled about these developments.”
