What is documented
Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was shot at close range while walking home from a Stockholm cinema with his wife, Lisbet, on 28 February 1986. The attacker fled through nearby streets before police could identify or detain him. [1]
The investigation became one of the largest in Swedish history. In 2020, prosecutors named the deceased Stig Engström as their suspected offender and closed the case, but the allegation was never tested in court. [2]
Essential facts
- Who
- Olof Palme and his wife Lisbet; prosecutors later identified Stig Engström as the suspected offender.
- What
- The assassination of Sweden’s serving prime minister.
- Where
- Sveavägen at the junction with Tunnelgatan in central Stockholm, Sweden.
- When
- Late evening, 28 February 1986.
- How
- Palme was shot at close range while walking home from a cinema; the offender fled up nearby steps.
Record history
Source reviewThe current summary, status, and citations were reviewed by the editorial desk.