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A boy shot and killed a 12-year-old student and injured two others at a school in Finland on Tuesday, police said. It was a rare act of violence by a child in a country that has changed its gun laws after previous school shootings, but gun ownership remains widespread.
Police said they arrested the 12-year-old suspect, who was also in possession of a handgun, about an hour after arriving at Viertra School in Vantaa, about 10 miles north of Helsinki. As is customary in Finnish criminal investigations, police did not release the suspect’s name.
“As a society, we have learned from previous sad school shootings,” National Police Chief Seppo Kolemainen said at a press conference, but added: “In this sad case, we will stop this act. I couldn’t do it,” he added.
“You’ll see why later,” he said.
Finland tightened its gun laws after two school shootings in 2007 and 2008 that left 20 people dead, including the perpetrator. The shootings have sparked a heated debate over firearms laws in a nation of hunters and gun enthusiasts.
Legislation introduced in 2011 raises the age limit for acquiring a handgun to 20, requires applicants to pass a suitability test, and requires a doctor to report if a person is deemed unfit to own a gun. This requirement has also been added.
However, Finland remains one of the countries with the highest firearm ownership rates in Europe, according to the 2018 Small Arms Survey conducted by the Geneva School of International Studies.
Under Finnish law, firearms permits can only be granted to those who can demonstrate an “acceptable purpose” and who are deemed fit based on their health and behavior.
It is unclear how the student in Tuesday’s shooting obtained the handgun, but police said it was granted to a close relative of the suspect.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told a news conference that “the shooting at Viertra school is so shocking that it leaves us speechless,” especially considering the young age of the attacker and the victim.
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