Finnish college gunman kills 10

A gunman has killed 10 people at a college in the town of Kauhajoki in Finland before shooting himself and later dying in hospital.

Media reports named the gunman as Matti Juhani Saari, 22, a trainee chef at the vocational college.

The suspect posted a video of himself on the internet last week firing a gun.
As a result of this, police interviewed him on Monday but decided they did not have enough evidence to revoke his licence, the interior minister said.

The minister, Anne Holmlund, said an investigation would now try to determine whether mistakes were made.

Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said this was a "tragic day" for Finland.

The attack echoed a shooting spree at a Finnish school last year which left nine dead, including the gunman, who had also posted an internet video.

Ski mask

The shootings in Kauhajoki, some 330km (205 miles) north of the capital, Helsinki, began just before 1100 local time (0800 GMT). An estimated 150 students were thought to be in the college buildings at the time.

The gunman, dressed in black and wearing a ski mask, was seen entering the building with a large bag. Shots were fired soon afterwards.

School caretaker Jukka Forsberg told AFP news agency that two girls had told him a man was shooting. "I saw a guy leaving a big black bag in the corridor and going into classroom number three and closing the door," he said. "I looked through the window and he immediately shot at me. Then I called the emergency number. Thank God I was not hit, he fired at me but I was running zigzag. I ran for my life." Mr Forsberg added: "I heard constant shooting. He changed another case in the gun. He was very well prepared. He walked calmly."

Police ordered an evacuation and called for reinforcements as fires blazed in the building. The gunman remained at large within the college grounds for some time.

Mr Vanhanen confirmed the gunman had shot himself. Media reports said the gunman was treated for a bullet wound to the head at Tampere University Hospital but later died. One victim also died in hospital, raising the initial toll from nine.

College headmaster Tapio Varmola told AFP: "Police have told me they suspect [the gunman] to be Matti Juhani Saari. He is a second year culinary arts student at our school."

Mr Vanhanen expressed condolences to the families of the victims and declared Wednesday a day of national mourning. "We all as a society must be united so that events like these will not happen again," he said.

Ms Holmlund said police questioned the man about the YouTube video, which showed him shooting at a firing range. On the video, the gunman says "you die next" before firing three times at the camera.

Ms Holmlund said: "Police were aware of this and spoke to him on Monday, September 22. However, the police officer on duty decided there was no need to terminate his gun licence." The gunman was given a "temporary licence" for a .22-calibre firearm this year, Ms Holmlund said.

In November 2007, eight people and the gunman died in another school attack in Tuusula, Finland. The gunman, Pekka-Eric Auvinen, posted a video on YouTube as a preview of his attack, pledging to "eliminate" those he saw as "unfit". In the wake of that attack, Finland's government pledged to raise the minimum age for buying guns.

But the country has a long tradition of hunting and weapons-bearing. An international small arms survey in 2007 showed an averaged total of 2.9 million firearms within a population of 5.2 million people.

FINLAND'S GUN CULTURE
All gun owners are required to have a licence
Minimum age for buying a gun is 15
About 14% of homicides in Finland are gun-related

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/h...630969.stm

This just sucks..

I think it is good that Finland is finally going to do something about gun-control! So many guns and so few daylight hours aren't a good combination, it is a shame this had to happen!

abierman said:

Hey I read your thread, I'm so so sorry that you had to witness something like that..




I really don't know if tightened gun control is going to make any difference...

Finnish ppl have and probably always will be introverted and depressed (if I may embellish) and in very rare, but tragical cases some just decide to take it out on innocent ppl.. I think it's our nation's mental-health that should be reviewed, rather than firearms..

This case is very similar to the one that happened in november, and I think that the overexposured, shock-valued and striking news headlines and stories might have something to do with it.

terrible.

Imago said:

Mushanga said:

Hello "Mrs extremely beautiful and sexy in light of bad tidings"




I pray for those families though. Such a terrible thing.



guns

Mushanga said:

True, I was shocked when I heard about this yesterday and then had my own experience later at night..... I don't know much about Finland other than that the few Fins I know (the ones I do business with) are very nice and I've heard it's beautiful over there. Still, Finland has the most guns per capita in Europe and the fact that anyone aged above 15 can hold one, to me, is wrong. Finland is hardly ever in the news, it is such a shame that this has happened 2 times within one year now....
You say that the mental health of the Finnish people should be reviewed, so you mean you assume that something is wrong with that in general? If that is the case, it would only be more reason for the government to do something about gun-control! The problem is that when there are so many guns already, it is hard to get rid of them. But hell, this could have happened anywhere.....unfortunately.

I just so much hate fucking guns!!!!!

allow me to console you...

MarySharon said:

This sort of things still very, very rare though.. Usually ppl (especially northern, finnish men) just build everything up inside themselves and turn the gun on themselves in private.. And it really isn't about corruption, just ppl that probably feel very ill inside..

But I'm still more that happy to have lived and to continue living in this country, and I still find it extremely safe in here.. don't be afraid..

Imago said:

Well it's Ms. now... a very, very clear Ms.

And thank you.. At first read, I thought it said "beautiful & sexy in bad lighting.."


And thank you again..

REDFEATHERS said:

thank you..

abierman said:

It is a very pretty place..

I think there is a trend going on here right now that very many young finnish ppl who aren't feeling well at all plus they aren't getting the help they need, because so many resources are undersized.. Although it's quite common that most ppl feel well and all problems seem to pile up on the few who already have issues..

I think that right now they're thinking of a proposition, where the police can have access to a person's health records when applying for a gun licence and tightening the applying process in general..
Maybe tightening gun laws will help from now on, but I think the damage has already been done.. Are school shootings a trend nowdays, do ppl get inspired from them?

Mushanga said:

Well It won't keep me from coming back for a visit.

Unfortunately this phenomenon might be related to the strong alcoholism rate. Awkwardness and becoming withdrawn doesn't help. Sometimes it turns into depression and compulsive disposition; then violence increases... that's very sad...