A Swedish court sentenced tour teenagers on Monday for their involvement in an October 2024 shooting attack on the office of Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden.
According to prosecutors, a 13-year-old boy fired shots at the entrance of the building but was too young under Swedish law to face criminal charges. A 15-year-old who encouraged the boy to carry out the attack was sentenced to 20 months in juvenile detention for instigating attempted murder.
Two 19-year-olds were each sentenced to five years in prison for aiding and abetting weapons offenses and unlawful threats, while a third accomplice received a prison term of four years and 11 months.
No injuries were reported in the shooting, which authorities described as a deliberate attack on an Israeli target. The motive was not specified in the court’s decision.
The attack came amid heightened concerns over Iranian-linked efforts to target Israeli and Jewish sites in Europe, with Swedish intelligence warning that foreign actors are exploiting local criminal networks to carry out attacks. In June 2024, explosives were discovered outside the same Elbit office, raising further alarm over threats to Israeli interests in Sweden.
Haifa-based Elbit Systems, which supplies technology to Israel’s defense establishment, has faced mounting protests and attempted attacks across Europe, particularly following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre and the subsequent war in Gaza.
Swedish authorities have bolstered security around Israeli-linked sites and Jewish community institutions in the wake of the incidents.