Ljubljana is a much smaller city in Slovenia than Stockholm, Sweden but it has suffered the same drug-fueled gang violence. Twenty-nine-year-old Swede Einar Berdin died on Thursday after he was found dead with gunshot wounds in a hotel room in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Berdin had been residing in Slovenia for more than two years and performed regularly in nightclubs as a rapper. According to Ljubljana police, Berdin was gunned down in the hotel room by someone who went on to inject Berdin with heroin and then shoot him five times. The suspect is an anonymous client of the hotel who was staying in the same hotel room as Berdin. The suspect is reportedly being questioned but it is unclear if he is cooperating with the investigation or if he has committed suicide. At this time, authorities have not determined the motive for the crime or if the suspect knew the deceased or his associates. Berdin left behind a young child. According to police, the shooter is from Valac, Ljubljana, and a third person also found in the room suffered minor injuries as a result of Berdin’s killing. The Swedish embassy has condemned the crime and requested that Swedish nationals to “please make an example of the suspect” and report the matter to authorities. Ljubljana has consistently seen drug-related violence over the past few years, many of the incidents taking place in the coastal city center. Officials have recently begun to realize the importance of tackling drug problems more harshly and are reportedly introducing criminal charges for narcotics cultivation and possession. During a policy conference on crime earlier this month, Slovenian president Borut Pahor called for a crackdown on drug dealing and homelessness, which Pahor said has been fueled by refugee resettlement and crime gangs. The host of the conference, Zoran Janković, said that he had become aware of the “excessive violence” in Ljubljana after becoming the victim of an armed robbery when he was 24.
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