Swedish rapper Einar shot dead in Stockholm a year after he was kidnapped & raped by rival’s gang

A SWEDISH rapper was shot dead outside his home in Stockholm last night — a year after rivals kidnapped and sexually assaulted him.

Einar, 19, whose real name was Nils Gronberg, was shot point-blank range execution-style in the capital city’s upmarket suburb of Hammarby Sjostad, police say.

AFPEinar, 19, has been shot dead one year after being kidnapped by a gang[/caption]

AFPA police officer stands next to a crime scene at the Hammarby Sjostad district in Stockholm where Einar was shot[/caption]

APNo arrests have been made so far as police hunt the killer[/caption]

Einar, who was the most-streamed artist on Spotify in Sweden, was shot several times in the head and the chest at point-blank range outside his apartment building shortly before 11pm last night.

Ambulance personnel administered first aid but he died at the scene.

A murder investigation has been launched. No arrests have been made so far.

Police are looking for at least two suspects who allegedly shot the rapper.

The motive of the shooting remains unclear but the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that the rapper had received several threats recently.

His death comes three months after rival rapper Yasin was jailed for 10 months for masterminding a foiled plot to kidnap Einar. 

The plan was ultimately aborted, but Einar was abducted by others several weeks later without Yasin’s involvement.

The kidnappers posted pictures of him to social media while he was being held by them, and claimed they sexually assaulted him in an attempt to humiliate him.

No one was charged with sexual assault in the case.

The kidnapping was part of a broader case involving 30 suspects in a criminal network accused of a variety of crimes.

Among the suspects was another rapper Haval Khalil, who was sentenced in July to two-and-a-half years in prison for complicity in the kidnapping. He has also had public spats with Einar.

The verdict was appealed and the case is currently being heard by the Svea Court of Appeal, which is expected to go on until December.

According to public broadcaster Sveriges Radio, Einar had been summoned to testify in the ongoing trial next week.

Einar had also been called to testify in the original district court trial, but never showed up.

‘PRICE ON HIS HEAD’

Daily Aftonbladet reported Einar was living with a “price on his head” after a series of threats against him which had escalated recently.

He himself was one of several suspects arrested for a stabbing at a restaurant in central Stockholm earlier this month.

Following his abduction and assault, Einar announced on Instagram he was feeling well. 

He said: “Yo yo yo, what’s happening Instagram, yo. Your brother here. Well, I only have one thing to say to you. 

“Everyone out there can be kidnapped, everyone out there can be beaten. I feel good, I am alive and no one can do what I do so I will continue what I do as long as I stand on my feet.”

The rapper made his debut at 16, issued four albums, had tens of millions of streams on music platforms and won several Swedish Grammys and other awards.

Many of his songs refer to a life of crime, including drugs and weapons.

The son of Swedish actress Lena Nilsson, Einar grew up in southern Stockholm and often referred to the crime scene in the area in his work.

He started his career posting songs to social media, and broke through in 2019 releasing “Katten i trakten” (The cat in the area), which hit number one on Sweden’s singles chart.

He won several music awards, including Swedish Grammys.

Swedish National Police BoardYasin Byn, another of Sweden’s most successful rappers, were given prison terms for their role in the kidnapping[/caption]

Swedish National Police BoardHaval Khalil (pictured left in a mugshot) who was sentenced in July to two-and-a-half years in prison for complicity in the kidnapping[/caption]

AFPSweden’s prime minister paid tribute to the slain rapper[/caption]

Fans and friends expressed their grief on Einar’s social media.

“Einar was a real brother to me and I will miss him so much. We just released our first record last week and it feels so strange since I spoke to him just a day ago,” producer Trobi wrote on Instagram.

The shooting is suspected to be linked to gang conflicts in the city – an issue that has been growing over the past decade.

Another lesser-known Swedish rapper, 23-year-old Rozh Shamal, was also killed in a 2019 gangland shooting.

Sweden has in recent years struggled to rein in rising shootings and bombings — usually settlings of scores by gangs and organised crime involved in drug trafficking.

It has gone from having one of the lowest rates of gun crime in Europe to suffering one of the highest over the past two decades. 

As of October 15, 273 shootings had been recorded with 40 people dead so far in 2021, according to police statistics.

During 2020, 47 people were killed in 366 shootings in the country of 10.3 million inhabitant

Responding to the killing of Einar, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven told TT: “A young life has been extinguished, and I understand that he meant a lot to many young people. It is tragic.”

Johan Forsell, law and order spokesperson for the main Moderates opposition party, said it was time to put an end to gang violence in Sweden.

“The limits of what can be accepted in a civilized country have been passed a very long time ago.

“We need action not words to turn the tide and get Sweden in order.”

Minister for Gender Equality and Housing Märta Stenevi wrote on Twitter that “violence must be stopped”.

She said: “Another young man has fallen victim to the deadly violence. Behind every headline is a family that has lost a child. I am thinking today of all those who have lost a relative.”

Fans and pals expressed their grief on Einar’s social media.