A tragic shooting at the Jokiranta school, part of the Viertola educational complex in Vantaa, Finland, near Helsinki claimed the life of a 12-year-old student and left two other 12-year-olds seriously injured on Tuesday, April 2.
The 12-year-old suspect, a fellow student at the school, escaped the scene on foot but was later apprehended by police and was found carrying a handgun, a registered firearm licensed to a relative.
The boy confessed to the act in a preliminary police interview, as confirmed by the authorities.
Local law enforcement reacted swiftly to the incident on Tuesday morning. As Finnish law prohibits the formal arrest of a child under the age of criminal responsibility, the suspect will be under the control of child welfare authorities following the police investigation.
The school, which serves a broad range of age groups, had over 800 students and 90 staff members present at the time of the incident.
The incident shocked the Finnish government. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo offered his deepest condolences to the victims, their families, and the school community, while President Alexander Stubb wished strength for recovery to those injured.
The investigation is treating the case as one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder, emphasizing the severity of the incident and its significant impact on the country.
This horrifying event brings back memories of the school shootings in 2007 and 2008 in Finland, which led to substantial changes in the country’s firearm laws, including raising the minimum age for firearm licenses and implementing stricter background checks to prevent such incidents.
Finland, a country with over 1.5 million licensed firearms and around 430,000 license holders, allows gun ownership from age 15 with parental consent. This incident has led to calls for a review of gun legislation and increased measures to support youth mental health, echoing the aftermath of previous school shootings in the country.
Anna-Maja Henriksson, Education Minister, expressed her devastation over the event, emphasizing the irreplaceable loss of a young life and the implications for the wider school community.
In a show of solidarity with the victims and their families, a national day of mourning was declared for April 4, marking the country’s collective sorrow over the incident.