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| Stockholm Suspect Was Denied Asylum and Told to Leave in ’16 | Stockholm Suspect Was Denied Asylum and Told to Leave in ’16 |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Uzbek man arrested in the terrorism rampage in central Stockholm last week was an asylum seeker whose application was rejected and who in December was given four weeks to leave the country, the Swedish police said on Sunday. | The Uzbek man arrested in the terrorism rampage in central Stockholm last week was an asylum seeker whose application was rejected and who in December was given four weeks to leave the country, the Swedish police said on Sunday. |
| The suspect, 39, had shown “sympathy for extremist organizations,” the police said. He applied for permanent residency in 2014, and the Swedish Migration Agency denied his application in June 2016, officials said. | The suspect, 39, had shown “sympathy for extremist organizations,” the police said. He applied for permanent residency in 2014, and the Swedish Migration Agency denied his application in June 2016, officials said. |
| The police tried to find him in February of this year to execute the exit order, but he had gone underground, becoming a wanted man, Jonas Hysing, the national strategic commander, said at a news conference on Sunday at the Stockholm police headquarters. | The police tried to find him in February of this year to execute the exit order, but he had gone underground, becoming a wanted man, Jonas Hysing, the national strategic commander, said at a news conference on Sunday at the Stockholm police headquarters. |
| “We know that he has shown sympathy for extremist organizations like I.S.,” Mr. Hysing said, referring to the Islamic State terrorist group. | “We know that he has shown sympathy for extremist organizations like I.S.,” Mr. Hysing said, referring to the Islamic State terrorist group. |
| On Friday, the man was arrested on suspicion of driving a stolen beer truck that was used to mow down a crowd of people, killing four and injuring 15 others. | On Friday, the man was arrested on suspicion of driving a stolen beer truck that was used to mow down a crowd of people, killing four and injuring 15 others. |
| On Sunday, the police released more information about the victims after informing their next of kin. The dead included two Swedish citizens, one Briton and one Belgian, said Jan Evensson, the strategic commander of the Stockholm police. | On Sunday, the police released more information about the victims after informing their next of kin. The dead included two Swedish citizens, one Briton and one Belgian, said Jan Evensson, the strategic commander of the Stockholm police. |
| The father of the British victim told the Swedish newspaper Expressen that his son, Chris Bevington, 41, a senior manager at the streaming music service Spotify, died in the attack. | The father of the British victim told the Swedish newspaper Expressen that his son, Chris Bevington, 41, a senior manager at the streaming music service Spotify, died in the attack. |
| “We are devastated that our talented and thoughtful son Chris is dead,” said the father, John Bevington, according to Expressen. | |
| The founder of Spotify, Daniel Ek, who is Swedish, said in a statement posted on his Facebook page that Chris Bevington had worked at Spotify for five years. | The founder of Spotify, Daniel Ek, who is Swedish, said in a statement posted on his Facebook page that Chris Bevington had worked at Spotify for five years. |
| “There are no words for how missed he will be or for how sad we all are to have lost him like this,” Mr. Ek wrote, adding, “I am as deeply saddened and upset as all of you that something like this could happen in Sweden.” | “There are no words for how missed he will be or for how sad we all are to have lost him like this,” Mr. Ek wrote, adding, “I am as deeply saddened and upset as all of you that something like this could happen in Sweden.” |
| The police have not provided any more information about the victims. A police spokesman, Kjell Lindgren, said a second person was being held on suspicion of participating in the attack. | The police have not provided any more information about the victims. A police spokesman, Kjell Lindgren, said a second person was being held on suspicion of participating in the attack. |
| The assault, in a city known for its tolerance and openness, came after the Swedish Security Service, or Sapo, warned in March in its annual security report that a terrorist acting alone was likely to attack somewhere in the country within a year. | The assault, in a city known for its tolerance and openness, came after the Swedish Security Service, or Sapo, warned in March in its annual security report that a terrorist acting alone was likely to attack somewhere in the country within a year. |
| Hans Brun, a security expert with the Swedish Defence University, said the police had worried about the possibility of such an assault. | Hans Brun, a security expert with the Swedish Defence University, said the police had worried about the possibility of such an assault. |
| “Unfortunately, this type of low-tech attack is something we have been discussing for years,” he said, adding that the police, Sapo and other government agencies had long been preparing, resulting in a well-coordinated response on Friday. | “Unfortunately, this type of low-tech attack is something we have been discussing for years,” he said, adding that the police, Sapo and other government agencies had long been preparing, resulting in a well-coordinated response on Friday. |
| “They put Stockholm under lockdown quite quickly,” Mr. Brun said in a phone interview. “They shut down the subway. They found the perpetrator quickly and, obviously, had some reliable intelligence quite early on.” | “They put Stockholm under lockdown quite quickly,” Mr. Brun said in a phone interview. “They shut down the subway. They found the perpetrator quickly and, obviously, had some reliable intelligence quite early on.” |
| The danger is not only that this type of attack is hard to prevent, he said, but also that there are so many people who are willing to do it. | The danger is not only that this type of attack is hard to prevent, he said, but also that there are so many people who are willing to do it. |
| “Given the information that the Swedish Security Service has been providing in recent years, there are a couple of hundred people in Sweden who have the capability and the will to carry out these type of attacks,” he said. | “Given the information that the Swedish Security Service has been providing in recent years, there are a couple of hundred people in Sweden who have the capability and the will to carry out these type of attacks,” he said. |
| Since 2010, when Taimour Abdulwahabal-Abdaly, a disaffected Iraqi Swede, blew himself up on a side street just yards from where Friday’s attack took place, the threat level in Sweden has been three on a scale of five, where three indicates the possibility of an attack and five represents the most serious threat. | Since 2010, when Taimour Abdulwahabal-Abdaly, a disaffected Iraqi Swede, blew himself up on a side street just yards from where Friday’s attack took place, the threat level in Sweden has been three on a scale of five, where three indicates the possibility of an attack and five represents the most serious threat. |
| Magnus Ranstorp, the head of terrorism research at the Swedish Defence University, said that while it was nearly impossible to deter these types of attacks, more could be done to deter potential terrorists. | Magnus Ranstorp, the head of terrorism research at the Swedish Defence University, said that while it was nearly impossible to deter these types of attacks, more could be done to deter potential terrorists. |
| “You need legislation that bites and is effective,” he said. “And that may be solved by criminalizing associating with a terrorist organization.” | “You need legislation that bites and is effective,” he said. “And that may be solved by criminalizing associating with a terrorist organization.” |
| Sweden has tightened its laws in recent years to prevent terrorism, and more changes are planned, said Anders Ygeman, the nation’s interior minister. | Sweden has tightened its laws in recent years to prevent terrorism, and more changes are planned, said Anders Ygeman, the nation’s interior minister. |
| “We have taken the first step, criminalizing traveling to and fighting with a terrorist organization in another country or receiving terrorist training,” Mr. Ygeman said. “The next step is criminalizing participation that is not linked to killing — for example, being a chef for or supporting a terrorist organization in another way other than being a part of killing or making bombs.” | “We have taken the first step, criminalizing traveling to and fighting with a terrorist organization in another country or receiving terrorist training,” Mr. Ygeman said. “The next step is criminalizing participation that is not linked to killing — for example, being a chef for or supporting a terrorist organization in another way other than being a part of killing or making bombs.” |
| Mr. Ygeman said there was broad support in Sweden for this kind of law. | Mr. Ygeman said there was broad support in Sweden for this kind of law. |
| As many as 300 people have gone from Sweden to Syria or Iraq to fight with the Islamic State, according to Sapo, and about half that number have returned. So far, there is nothing to indicate that the man in custody had been fighting alongside extremists, Mr. Ygeman said. | As many as 300 people have gone from Sweden to Syria or Iraq to fight with the Islamic State, according to Sapo, and about half that number have returned. So far, there is nothing to indicate that the man in custody had been fighting alongside extremists, Mr. Ygeman said. |
| But the Stockholm police said the man had been able to elude the authorities’ attempts to deport him by giving them an incorrect address. | But the Stockholm police said the man had been able to elude the authorities’ attempts to deport him by giving them an incorrect address. |