A 12-year-old student in Finland has been suspected of fatally shooting a classmate and injuring two others, with the motive believed to be bullying. The suspect, a sixth grader in Vantaa, just outside Helsinki, was apprehended less than an hour after the shooting. The police department stated that the suspect had been bullied at school and had transferred to Viertola school at the beginning of the year. The minimum age of criminal liability in Finland is 15, so the suspect cannot be formally arrested but can be questioned by the police before being handed over to child welfare authorities.
The incident has shocked the nation of Finland, leading to a day of mourning. Finnish flags were flown at half-staff, and people, including parents, teachers, and students, gathered near the school building to lay flowers and light candles in memory of the victims. The deceased boy died instantly after being shot, while one of the wounded girls has dual Finland-Kosovo citizenship. The suspect was found with a revolver-like handgun, licensed to a relative who was not identified immediately, and admitted to the shooting in initial police hearings.
This tragic incident is not the first school shooting in Finland, with major deadly incidents occurring in 2007 and 2008. Following those events, the country tightened its gun laws, raising the minimum age for firearms ownership and giving police more authority to perform background checks on individuals applying for a gun license. Despite these measures, Finland has a significant number of licensed firearms and gun owners, reflecting the country’s deep-rooted traditions of hunting and gun ownership. Target practice is also a widespread hobby in this sparsely-populated northern European country.
As the investigation into the shooting continues, the Finnish public is grappling with the aftermath of this tragic event. The revelation that the suspect was allegedly bullied at school has sparked discussions about the importance of addressing bullying and mental health issues among young people. The community’s response, marked by the outpouring of support and remembrance for the victims, highlights the solidarity and resilience of the Finnish people in the face of such senseless violence. Moving forward, there will likely be calls for further measures to prevent similar incidents and protect the safety and well-being of students in schools across the country.
