Sweden shootings: multiple deaths at Gothenburg pub

A murder investigation has been launched after a gunman killed at least two people and wounded many more in a crowded pub near the city of Gothenburg in Sweden.

"There was a shooting in a pub. There have been several fatalities and a number of the injured have been brought to hospital," police spokeswoman Ulla Brehm told AFP.

Police have said that there is no indication that the attack was terror-related, and believe it may have been carried out by local gangs. At least 10 people were injured and police have said the death toll is expected to rise.

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Witnesses said at least one gunman entered the pub and began firing indiscriminately. "We were sitting watching the football game when the shooters came in," one man told Sweden's Aftonbladet.

"I didn't have a chance to think about what happened," another told STV. "Then I saw that my friend was bleeding. I tried to stop the bleeding as well as I could with my hand."

The gunman fled the scene, and while several people are being questioned by police, no arrests have been made.

"We can't rule out that it's gang-related. We've had problems for some time with gang crime in this area," said Brehm. "There have been shootings in the past."

Sweden has a longstanding problem with criminal gangs, particularly with motorcycle clubs like Hells Angels and Bandidos, who battle for control of the country's drug trade, the Local reports. However, mass shootings in public are rare.

"It's frightening. Things happen nearly every day here but this looks like something extra," said one local resident.

However, another one said the area near the pub was not typically violent. "This is actually a quiet area. There have been occasional shootings but never anything serious. It's all between gangs," she said.