Finland school shooting suspect motivated by bullying
Finnish police have said that the 12-year-old suspected of fatally shooting a boy at his school and causing serious injuries to two girls was driven by experiences of bullying.
The shooting occurred on Tuesday morning in Vantaa. The suspected shooter fled the scene and was detained about an hour later. All involved, including the perpetrator and victims, were 12 years old. The two injured girls remain hospitalised.
In a statement, police said the boy had been transferred at the start of this year to Viertola school in Vantaa, to the north of the capital, Helsinki.
They said the suspect told them he had been bullied after he was detained in the Siltamaki area of northern Helsinki, almost 4km (2.5 miles) from the scene of the shooting. Their initial investigation supported that conclusion, they added.
Although the police have launched an inquiry into murder and attempted murder, the suspect, due to his age, cannot be held criminally accountable and has been placed under the care of social services.
Additionally, authorities disclosed that the suspect had previously made threats to students in the Siltamaki area while en route to school.
Reports from Finnish TV channel MTV Uutiset indicated that during the shooting at Viertola school, the suspect wore a mask and noise-cancelling headphones.
Finland school shooting wiki
The Viertola school shooting occurred on 2 April 2024 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.