Suspect held

Swedish police said Sunday they had arrested a 38-year-old man suspected of a year-long sniper rampage targeting immigrants in the country's third-largest city.

Investigators in the southern city of Malmo gave few details of the apprehension, but said the man is accused of murdering one and attempting to kill seven others since October 2009.

Investigators said the man was Swedish, held a gun license and had no criminal record.

The victims were nearly all of immigrant background and were targeted at locations such as bus stops, in their cars and even through the window of a gymnasium.

In October 2009, a 20-year-old woman was killed in such an attack, shot as she sat in her car. Her male companion was serious injured.

The suspect has reportedly denied all allegations made against him.

Witnesses told the Sydsvenskan newspaper that the man did not resist when he was arrested by members of a heavily armed police unit at his home in Malmo's city center on Saturday night.

Neighbors described the suspect as a "quiet loner."

Sniper attacks on immigrants are not new to Sweden. In late 1991, Stockholm and neighboring Uppsala saw a similar case in which 11 people were killed by a perpetrator dubbed "the laser man," due to the laser sight on his rifle. He is now serving a life sentence.

Author: Darren Mara (AP, dpa)
Editor: Kyle James