Sweden has long maintained one of the lowest rates of deadly violence globally, with 11 intentional deaths per million people in 2017 compared to a world average of 61. However, the past decade has seen a sharp rise in gun violence among criminal groups. Between 2011 and 2015, police in Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö recorded 948 shootings—378 resulting in injury or death—and so-called near-repeat patterns significantly heightened risk of shootings in all cities. Effective crime prevention requires theory-driven, evidence-based interventions, as uninformed policies can lead to unintended harms. In recent years, Sweden’s escalating gun violence has prompted intense political pressure for decisive action. Policymakers have predominantly adopted suppression-first strategies emphasizing tougher penalties, expanded prisons, and stricter border controls, while preventive approaches remain limited. This shift represents a major departure from Sweden’s traditional welfare-oriented, knowledge-based criminal policy associated with Nordic exceptionalism. The result has been numerous legislative reforms and a potential increase in the national prison population, alongside growing social divisions. This chapter examines Sweden’s transformation in criminal policy, exploring whether it constitutes a paradigmatic change or a layering of reforms. It also analyzes foreign policy influences and considers prospects for restoring evidence-based policymaking amid politicized debates.