Viertola school shooting
| Viertola school shooting | |
|---|---|
 Viertola school, Jokiranta site | |
| Location | Vantaa, Finland |
| Date | 2 April 2024 |
| Target | Viertola school, Jokiranta site |
Attack type | School shooting |
| Weapons | Revolver[1] |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Injured | 2 |
| Motive | Bullying[2] |
On 2 April 2024, a shooting occurred at the Viertola school, Jokiranta site in Vantaa, Finland. The gunman, who was a 12-year-old student, shot three 12-year-old students. One of the victims died and two were seriously injured.[3][4]
Background[edit]
Gun ownership in Finland is closely linked to hunting and target practice as a popular hobby.[5] According to the Finnish Interior Ministry, there are more than 1.5 million licensed firearms in Finland and about 430,000 licensed gun owners, equivalent to about 8% of Finland's population. Finnish law provides no limit to the number of guns that can be owned, but also requires firearms to be "locked in such a way that the firearm cannot be easily stolen".[6] and for them to be stored in a disassembled stage.[7] The minimum age to attain a gun licence is 18, while minors over 15 can also have licenses to use other people's firearms. However, the minimum age to receive a license for a revolver, which was used in the attack, is 20.[2]
Previous school shootings in 2007 and 2008 that killed 18 people[6] led to the raising of the minimum age for gun ownership and increased background checks for prospective gun owners[5] and prompted the establishment of a "system of pre-emptive measures" allowing police to intervene if they received information on a "person's intent to stage an attack".[6] An aptitude test for all gun licence applicants was also introduced in 2010.[8]
Bullying in Finland is regarded as widespread, with studies showing that 8.6% of children between the ages of 10-11 experiencing it on a weekly basis.[6]
Shooting[edit]
The police received a call about the shooting at 09:07 UTC+2,[9] which occurred in a sixth-grade classroom in Viertola school's Jokiranta campus serving grades three to six,[10] during which a 12-year-old boy wearing a mask and noise-cancelling headphones shot three of his classmates and fled the scene. Police arrived in the school at 09:17. A lockdown was implemented inside the school and in neighboring educational institutions.[6][5][11]
After leaving the school on foot,[10] the suspect also threatened three students of the neighbouring Siltamäki elementary school with his weapon while the three were en route to their school.[12] Later, the police found the suspect in the North Helsinki neighborhood of Siltamäki and took him into custody at 09:58.[9] Police recovered the weapon used in the attack from the suspect.[11]
Of the three victims, one was a boy and the other two were girls. The boy died immediately after being shot. One of the girls has dual citizenship of Finland and Kosovo.[12]
Investigation[edit]
The police are investigating the incident as one murder and two attempted murders, as well as one illegal threat.[12] The legal owner of the handgun used by the shooter is being investigated for a firearms offence.[1]
The handgun used was licensed to a close relative. The police stated that the motive of the perpetrator was bullying.[13] Yle reported that the suspect had confessed to the police, and had a history of being bullied at school.[12] The suspect had transferred to the school at the start of the year.[5] Due to him being a minor, the suspect will not face criminal charges and was instead placed in the care of social services.[6] National Police Commissioner Seppo Kolehmainen said that law enforcement had not received information regarding plans for the attack.[11]
Reactions[edit]
Following the shooting, calls emerged from some politicians to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15.[6]
The Viertola school reopened on 3 April[6] on reduced hours,[14] with crisis counselling sessions on offer.[15] On the same day, a national day of mourning was held, during which flags were placed on half-mast and flowers and candles were laid at the site of the attack. Official discussions about the shooting were held in schools across Vantaa.[2][5]
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo described the shooting as "deeply upsetting" and said that mental health issues involving youth must be tackled "sooner".[11] President Alexander Stubb also expressed shock at the shooting and offered condolences to the family of the fatality while wishing for the recovery of the injured.[16] Education Minister Anna-Maja Henriksson tearfully described the shooting as a "great tragedy" and said that her thoughts were with the lone fatality "who will never come home from school again".[11] Interior Minister Mari Rantanen wrote on X that she "can only imagine the pain and worry that many families are experiencing at the moment."[17] Deputy prime minister Riikka Purra, referring to the shooting, said that "should never happen." Leader of the Left Alliance and former education minister Li Andersson also described the incident as a major shock.[16]
See also[edit]
- Firearms regulation in Finland
- Raumanmeri school shooting
- Jokela school shooting
- Kauhajoki school shooting
- Kuopio school stabbing
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Näin Viertolan kouluampuja käyttäytyi poliisikuulustelussa". Iltalehti. 3 April 2024. Archived from the original on 3 April 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ a b c "Finnish school shooting motivated by bullying - police". BBC News. 3 April 2024. Archived from the original on 3 April 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ Paul Kirby (2 April 2024). "Finland shooting: Child dead and two wounded in Vantaa school shooting". bbc.com. BBC News. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ "Child dead and two wounded at school shooting in Helsinki". euronews.com. Euronews. 2 April 2024. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Tanner, Jari (3 April 2024). "A 12-year-old suspected of killing a classmate and wounding 2 in Finland told police he was bullied". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Gozzi, Laura (4 April 2024). "School shooting brings up tough questions for Finland". BBC. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ "Unsafe storage of guns not uncommon". Yle. 4 April 2024. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ "Deadly school shooting in Finland blamed on bullying". Al Jazeera. 3 April 2024. Archived from the original on 3 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ a b Lehto, Essi; Kauranen, Anne (2 April 2024). "Finland school shooting: 12-year-old suspect held after one child is killed, two are wounded". Reuters. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ a b "One pupil dead in Vantaa school shooting". Yle. 2 April 2024. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Kirby, Paul (2 April 2024). "Finland shooting: Child held after pupil aged 12 shot dead at school in Vantaa". BBC. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Poliisi: Epäilty uhkasi myös kolmea helsinkiläisen Siltamäen koulun oppilasta". Helsingin Sanomat. 3 April 2024. Archived from the original on 3 April 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ "Poliisi vahvistaa Ylen tiedot: Vantaan kouluampumisen motiivina on kiusaaminen". yle.fi (in Finnish). 3 April 2024. Archived from the original on 3 April 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ "Finnish police says 'bullying' motivated school shooting". France 24. 3 April 2024. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ "Flags fly at half-mast as Finland mourns shooting". Yle. 3 April 2024. Archived from the original on 3 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Vantaa school shooting: Tearful minister mourns "terrible event"". Yle. 2 April 2024. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ "Sixth-grader killed in a Finnish school shooting, police say, child suspect held". The Jerusalem Post. 2 April 2024. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.