He Is Convicted for the Triple Murder in Uppsala

21-year-old Fredric Gülich Brendling has been sentenced to life in prison after the triple murder at Vaksala Square in Uppsala during the Walpurgis Night celebrations last year. The district court found him guilty of three murders, four attempted murders, and serious weapons offenses. Two other men have received long prison sentences for aiding and abetting the crime.

The shooting took place on April 29 when the perpetrator arrived in the area armed with two firearms. According to the investigation, it was a contract killing linked to criminal networks.

The first shots were fired outdoors at two men near a barbershop. One of them managed to escape from the scene, while the other ran into the shop to seek shelter. The shooter followed him inside, where more shots were fired.

The barbershop where Fredric struck. Image: Police.

Three people were killed: a 15-year-old boy, a 16-year-old, and a 20-year-old man. One of the victims was a ninth-grade student who was in the shop ahead of the evening’s Walpurgis Night celebrations.

When the verdict was delivered, the district court emphasized that the crimes were particularly serious and that the violence had affected a large number of people, not least the relatives.

In addition to the life sentence, Fredric Gülich Brendling must pay about 3.4 million kronor in damages to the crime victims and their families.

Shooting in Eslöv

The 21-year-old is also convicted for a separate shooting in Eslöv two weeks before the Uppsala incident. Two people were seriously injured but survived. This event too is considered a contract killing with links to organized crime.

Two men, aged 18 and 26, are also sentenced for aiding and abetting the murders in Uppsala. However, two other people suspected of assisting by buying clothes used in the shooting were acquitted.

Fredric Gülich Brendling. Image: Police.

Was Going to Earn a Million as a Hitman

The investigation picked up pace after a witness saw a man changing clothes in a bush and throwing a bag in a trash can a few hours after the crime. The bag contained, among other things, a balaclava that could later be linked to Fredric Gülich Brendling through forensic evidence.

During a house search, the police also found large amounts of cash and a handwritten letter in which the 21-year-old described his ambition to make money as a so-called “klivare”—a person who carries out paid murders.

In the letter he wrote that his goal was to collect a million kronor and that he was prepared to do “whatever it takes.”