On 28 February 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was shot dead on a Stockholm street in one of the most shocking political assassinations in modern European history. The killing stunned Sweden, a country long seen as politically stable and socially secure, and triggered one of the largest murder investigations ever conducted in Scandinavia.
A quiet evening turns into national tragedy
Late on the evening of 28 February 1986, Prime Minister Olof Palme left a cinema in central Stockholm together with his wife, Lisbeth Palme. The couple had attended a screening of the film The Brothers Mozart and were walking home without bodyguards along Sveavägen, one of the city’s main streets.
Shortly after 23:21 local time, a man approached the couple from behind and fired two shots with a revolver. One bullet struck Palme in the back, killing him almost instantly. A second shot grazed Lisbeth Palme. The attacker fled up a nearby staircase and disappeared into the night.
The assassination took place in full public view, in a bustling part of Sweden’s capital. Despite the presence of witnesses, the gunman was not apprehended, setting off decades of speculation and investigation.
A defining figure in Swedish politics
Olof Palme had served as leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party and as Prime Minister of Sweden in two separate periods, from 1969 to 1976 and again from 1982 until his death in 1986. Known internationally for his outspoken positions on global issues, Palme frequently criticised both superpowers during the Cold War.
He condemned the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War and was also critical of authoritarian regimes in both the Eastern Bloc and the developing world. His activism in areas such as nuclear disarmament, anti-colonialism and social democracy made him a globally recognised political figure.
At home, Palme was associated with Sweden’s expansive welfare state and strong labour protections, policies that defined the country’s post-war political model.
The investigation and unresolved questions
The murder sparked Sweden’s largest criminal investigation, involving thousands of interviews and an enormous archive of evidence. Over the decades, numerous theories emerged, ranging from lone-gunman scenarios to complex international conspiracies.
In 1989, a man named Christer Pettersson was convicted of the killing in a district court, largely based on eyewitness testimony. However, he was later acquitted on appeal due to insufficient evidence.
In 2020, Swedish prosecutors announced that the investigation pointed to Stig Engström, often referred to as “the Skandia Man,” as the most likely suspect. Engström had already died in 2000, meaning no prosecution could occur, and authorities formally closed the investigation.
Despite the official conclusion, debate continues among historians, journalists and investigators about whether the full truth behind Palme’s assassination has been uncovered.
A moment that changed Sweden
The assassination of Olof Palme marked a profound turning point in Swedish society. It shattered the perception of Sweden as immune to political violence and led to sweeping reforms in security arrangements for public officials.
Nearly four decades later, the killing remains one of the most discussed and analysed crimes in Scandinavian history. The image of Sweden’s prime minister walking unguarded through the streets of Stockholm on a winter evening remains a powerful symbol of a different era in European politics.
Newshub Editorial in Europe – February 28, 2026
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