2024 Viertola school shooting

At a glance

Dates: From 2024-04-02.

Place: Viertola School, Finland.

Type: school shooting.

Deaths reported: 1. Casualties: 2.

What came before

Background Gun ownership in Finland is closely linked to hunting and target practice . [ 1 ] According to the Finnish Interior Ministry , there are more than 1.5 million licensed firearms in Finland, with around 430,000 licensed gun owners. That is equivalent to about 8% of the Finnish population. Finnish law provides no limit to the number of guns that can be owned per person. If the amount of personal firearms exceeds the amount of five, or if a firearm is classified as ”highly dangerous”,

What happened

Investigation The murder weapon The police initially stated that the motive for the shooting was bullying. [ 1 ] The Finnish broadcasting company Yle reported that a twelve-year-old had confessed to shooting the three students. The shooter reportedly stated that he had been bullied at school. [ 2 ] However, subsequent investigations by the police have not shown any evidence of bullying, nor by the victims targeted. [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ]

Reactions The Finnish flag lowered to half mast at Mäkelänkatu in Vallila, Helsinki, Finland. Photo taken on the afternoon of April 3rd 2024, one day after the shooting. Following the shooting, some called for the age of criminal responsibility , which is currently at 15 years of age, to be lowered. [ 1 ] The Viertola school reopened on 3 April [ 1 ] on reduced hours, [ 2 ] with crisis counselling sessions on offer. [ 3 ] A national day of mourning was held on the 3rd of April,

On 2 April 2024, a shooting occurred at the Viertola school, Jokiranta site in Vantaa, Finland. The gunman, a 12-year-old fired a revolver at three students, all aged 12. One victim was killed while two were seriously injured.