The chief suspect in the murder of a British boy who was killed by a hand grenade in Sweden has died before he could be arrested.

Yuusuf Warsame, from Birmingham, was sleeping in an apartment in a working class area of Gothenburg, Sweden when the explosive was tossed through the window on August 22 last year.

Police believed the murder was part of an ongoing feud between members of the Somali underworld and had identified a main suspect.

However, the lead investigator has announced the suspect was a 'victim of a violent crime' and died before they could arrest him.

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Yuusuf Warsame (pictured left and right) was sleeping in an apartment in a working class area of Gothenburg, Sweden when a hand grenade was tossed through the window

Police confirmed they believed the attack in a working class area of Gothenburg, Sweden (pictured) was part of an ongoing feud between members of the Somali community

Robert Karlsson, Head of the Investigation Unit of the Western Region, told Aftonbladet it was 'a bit of a setback' that the preliminary investigation ended in this way.

The investigation into Yuusuf's death has been 'setback but is continuing', he added.

After Yuusuf's death his devastated father, Abdiwahid Warsame (pictured), described how his son died in the arms of his mother

Prosecutor Stina Lundqvist said that the evidence against the suspect, who has not been named, was 'good enough for arrest and prosecution'.

After Yuusuf's death his devastated father, Abdiwahid Warsame, described how his son died 'covered in blood' in the arms of his mother.

Speaking from his home in Birmingham, he said: 'My wife's heart is broken. She told me he died in front of her. She was covered in his blood. She tried to help, she took him by his chest and held him, but he was dead.'

Yuusuf, who had celebrated his birthday just two days earlier, was visiting relatives in Sweden.

Four of his siblings, including his five-year-old brother Ahmed, were sleeping in the same property and his father said it was a 'miracle' they survived.

Mr Warsame, a father-of-seven and Dutch national, added: 'He was a lovely boy, a beautiful child. He was so well liked at school and really worked on his education.

'He wanted to do well in life and not make bad decisions. He was so well behaved, if he saw someone dropping rubbish in the street he couldn't understand it. He would say: "Why are they doing that?"

Police and forensics are pictured at the flat after the attack. The lead investigator has announced that the chief suspect was killed before they could arrest him

'He loved swimming, he was the strongest swimmer. He didn't like football, swimming was his sport. He loved to play tennis as well. He was just a normal boy with his education ahead of him.'

Yuusuf was born in Birmingham and went to Nelson Mandela Primary School in Sparkhill, West Midlands.

His parents, who have Dutch passports, moved to the UK in 2001 and own a Halal meat and grocery shop.

The attack was believed to be part of an ongoing feud involving members of the Somali community.

Yusuuf's parents, who have Dutch passports, moved to the UK in 2001 own the Tawfiq Halal Meat and Grocery Shop in the Small Heath, Birmingham (pictured)

A police spokesman said one of the people registered at the address in Sweden was a convicted murderer.

Yuusuf was related to Ahmed Warsame, who was sentenced to life in prison after he burst into a restaurant and gunned down a man and an innocent bystander.

According to local newspaper Goteborgs-Posten, the pub shooting spree was the culmination of several violent incidents between rival gangs.

While Sweden is generally a peaceful, safe country with low crime rates, police have had difficulty addressing violence in poorer neighbourhoods in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo.



