On 2 April a tragic shooting incident took place at Viertola school in Vantaa, Finland. In this school shooting incident incident a 12 years old child student died and two others were seriously injured. It is identified that suspected shooter, also 12 years old. After the incident he fled from the scene but later got arretsed by the police. It was revealed that the suspect used a licensed handgun belonging to a close relative and confessed to the shooting during initial questioning.
In Finland children under the age of 15 are not held criminally responsible. So, the suspect in the school shooting has not been detained in custody. Instead, they are being entrusted to the care of social services.
Finland School Shooting
The school shooting, which occurred on Tuesday morning, shocked the community in Vantaa, a suburb of Helsinki. Viertola school, with approximately 800 students and 90 staff members, became the scene witness of this devastating event.
Authorities expressed their dismay at the incident, with Police Chief Seppo Kolehmainen remarking that society should have learned from previous tragedies like this. Interior Minister Mari Rantanen conveyed her sympathy to the affected families and confirmed the arrest of the suspected perpetrator.
Police were alerted about the shooting around 9 am local time, prompting warnings for bystanders to stay indoors and avoid the area. According to Reports, the suspected shooter was a sixth-grade student at the school.
Katri Kalske, a deputy city manager for education and training of the city, expressed deep shock over the incident, emphasizing the unexpected nature of the tragedy telling Yle: “This came as a big surprise to everyone.”
Finland has a history of school shootings. In 2007, Pekka-Eric Auvinen tragically took the lives of six students, a school nurse, the principal, and himself using a handgun at Jokela high school near Helsinki. Again in 2008, another student named Matti Saari carried out a similar act at a vocational school in Kauhajoki, north-west Finland, resulting in the deaths of nine students and one staff member before he took his own life.
In response to these tragedies, Finland implemented stricter gun legislation in 2010.
Despite these efforts, the country still has a significant number of licensed firearms and gun owners, reflecting the popularity of hunting and target shooting activities in the nation.
