Bullying caused shooting by 12-year-old boy in Finnish school

The 12-year-old boy who shot three classmates in Finland on Tuesday was bullied. He told this himself to the Finnish police. President Alexander Stubb has declared a day of national mourning.

The Finnish public broadcaster YLE reports on Wednesday that the 12-year-old boy in the shooting at the Finnish Viertola school was the victim of bullying. He said this in a statement to the police. According to the police, this would also be the reason why he went to the school with a weapon and shot three classmates.

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The shooting killed a 12-year-old boy and seriously injured two girls – both also 12 years old. They are still in the hospital. One of the two girls has Finnish-Kosovar nationality.

Police have launched an investigation into how the boy was able to obtain a gun in the first place. After the shooting, the teenager also allegedly threatened to injure children who were on their way to school. This is also being investigated by the police.

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The teenager was arrested by the police after the incident at the Viertola school. He was still in possession of the firearm at the time of his arrest. The boy had only been at the school for a few months. He was reportedly transferred to the educational institution in Vantaa eleven weeks ago. According to the police, the act was planned, but it is not clear how long the teenager had been doing this. “The boy said he regrets the act,” police sources said.

The boy is not yet allowed to speak to his parents or other family members. Meetings with loved ones are only possible after speaking to those close to him.

Numerous candles have been placed in sympathy at the school, which also provides special education. The school was also guarded for some time by heavily armed units just to be on the safe side. The school has a total of about eight hundred students.

The shooting led to shocked reactions in Finland and sparked political discussions about tightening the – by Western standards – flexible gun laws in the country. The 12-year-old had probably obtained the weapon through a family member. In Finland, a weapon may be used under certain conditions from the age of fifteen.