A 19-year-old award-winning Swedish rapper, Nils 'Einar' Gronberg, was fatally shot Thursday, October 21 in Stockholm. Authorities have reason to believe that he died in a gang-related incident. According to Swedish National Police Board spokesman Ola Osterling, the incident took place in the upscale suburb of Hammarby Sjostad. The rapper was allegedly 'shot dead instantly' during the gang war.
Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reports that Einar was killed 'execution style' at point-blank range. "A young life has been extinguished, and I understand that he meant a lot to many young people. It is tragic, " Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said. No arrests have been made in the case as of Friday, October 22. Authorities are on the lookout for at least two suspects who allegedly shot the rapper.
Who was Nils 'Einar' Gronberg?
Rapper Einar gained fame at the age of 16 when his song Katten i trakten, from his debut album Forsta klass topped the Swedish charts in 2019. His debut single had more than 8 million views on YouTube. Following his resounding success, Einar went on to release four albums, racking up tens of millions of streams on music platforms and winning several Swedish Grammys and other awards, including an international song of the year award in 2019.
Who killed Rapper Einar?
Einar was involved in several high-profile incidents. In 2020, he was kidnapped by a rival rapper, Yasin, and Vårby-based criminal gang. He was allegedly held at gunpoint for several hours as his kidnappers took photos of him and posted them on social media. Rapper Yasin was sentenced to 10 months in prison in connection with Einar's kidnapping. The crime and subsequent trials of the incident received international attention. Incidentally, Einar was found shot dead only a week before he was scheduled to testify in a trial connected to his kidnapping. If reports are to be believed, Einár was living under death threats since his kidnapping and had protected identity. At the age of 17, Einar was arrested and given an ASBO. He lived for several months in a locked child protection home.
