Terhi Kinnunen, Reuters
Published: 1 hour ago
TUUSULA, Finland (Reuters) - Flags flew at half-mast across Finland on Thursday in mourning for eight people killed by an 18-year-old gunman at a school hours after he posted a video on YouTube predicting a massacre there.
Six pupils of Jokela High School, along with the school's principal and its nurse, were killed when student Pekka-Eric Auvinen opened fire with a .22 caliber handgun in the middle of the school day. He then shot himself in the head.
The gunman, who had a keen interest in war history and extremist movements, died late on Wednesday in hospital.
View Larger ImageLit candles are seen around a lake in front of the Jokela school in Tuusula November 8, 2007. Six pupils of Jokela High School, along with the school's principal and its nurse, were killed when student Pekka-Eric Auvinen opened fire with a .22 calibre handgun in the middle of the school day. He then shot himself in the head. REUTERS/Sari Gustafsson/LehtikuvaEmail to a friendPrinter friendlyFont:
Police said on Thursday that one of the dead was the nurse at the school in Tuusula municipality of 35,000, some 60 km (40 miles) from Helsinki. Initially, they had believed seven students and one staff member had been killed.
Merja Launonen, whose 14-year-old was in the school during the shooting, said she would not make her daughter go back.
"She is afraid of that school. I cannot force her to go there," Launonen said.
Many children hid in classrooms for hours after the shooting, fearing the gunman was still a threat.
Police said on Thursday that Auvinen, who took more than 400 rounds of ammunition into the school, fired at least 69 times and that all of his victims were hit repeatedly. Some bodies were riddled with nearly 20 bullets apiece.
They said he tried to set fire to the school, but failed.
"Based on all we know he decided to commit a random, incomprehensible act and to kill himself afterwards," Inspector Rabbe von Hertzen of Finland's National Bureau of Investigation told a news conference.
TOUGHER GUN CONTROL CALLS
Such a tragedy in the normally peaceful Nordic nation should make Finland reconsider its campaign against European Union plans to tighten gun ownership laws for youngsters, a senior cabinet member told Reuters.
"In my opinion we should reconsider this very seriously," Trade Minister Mauri Pekkarinen said. "I believe we have to critically think over Finland's position one more time. I am ready to take this up in the government."
Although the country has the world's third-highest per capita gun ownership, deadly shootings are rare.
Auvinen, who only last month obtained the permit for the gun he used in the shooting, walked "systematically" through the school's corridors, firing into classroom after classroom, according to a teacher at the school.
The YouTube video by Auvinen, set to a hard-driving song called "Stray Bullet," shows a still photo of Jokela High School. The photo breaks apart to reveal a red-tinted picture of a man pointing a handgun at the camera.
The clip, which police said was made by the gunman, is entitled "Jokela High School Massacre - 11/7/2007."
Across Finland, flags flew at half-mast and many churches planned services to remember the victims"
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Last edited by What'sThatSmell : 11-09-2007 at 01:38 AM.
with the insane metal they listne to out there im not suprized this is the first school shooting the country has ever had it also said 90/100 civilians own guns
with the insane metal they listne to out there im not suprized this is the first school shooting the country has ever had it also said 90/100 civilians own guns
How can you blame all this on music and firearm laws? This kid obviously suffered from severe mental issues, possibly a bit of bullying and the like. I can understand where you're coming from, some of it is pretty crazy in my opinion, but I mean... come on....
11-08-2007, 10:18 PM
Jokela School Shooting - 8 dead.
Police said on Thursday that one of the dead was the nurse at the school in Tuusula municipality of 35,000, some 60 km (40 miles) from Helsinki. Initially, they had believed seven students and one staff member had been killed.
Merja Launonen, whose 14-year-old was in the school during the shooting, said she would not make her daughter go back.
"She is afraid of that school. I cannot force her to go there," Launonen said.
Many children hid in classrooms for hours after the shooting, fearing the gunman was still a threat.
Police said on Thursday that Auvinen, who took more than 400 rounds of ammunition into the school, fired at least 69 times and that all of his victims were hit repeatedly. Some bodies were riddled with nearly 20 bullets apiece.
They said he tried to set fire to the school, but failed.
"Based on all we know he decided to commit a random, incomprehensible act and to kill himself afterwards," Inspector Rabbe von Hertzen of Finland's National Bureau of Investigation told a news conference.
TOUGHER GUN CONTROL CALLS
Such a tragedy in the normally peaceful Nordic nation should make Finland reconsider its campaign against European Union plans to tighten gun ownership laws for youngsters, a senior cabinet member told Reuters.
"In my opinion we should reconsider this very seriously," Trade Minister Mauri Pekkarinen said. "I believe we have to critically think over Finland's position one more time. I am ready to take this up in the government."
Although the country has the world's third-highest per capita gun ownership, deadly shootings are rare.
Auvinen, who only last month obtained the permit for the gun he used in the shooting, walked "systematically" through the school's corridors, firing into classroom after classroom, according to a teacher at the school.
The YouTube video by Auvinen, set to a hard-driving song called "Stray Bullet," shows a still photo of Jokela High School. The photo breaks apart to reveal a red-tinted picture of a man pointing a handgun at the camera.
The clip, which police said was made by the gunman, is entitled "Jokela High School Massacre - 11/7/2007."
Across Finland, flags flew at half-mast and many churches planned services to remember the victims"
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