The Eastern Uusimaa Police Department has concluded criminal investigation into the school shooting at Jokiranta school in Viertola, Vantaa, at 9 o’clock in the morning of 22 April 2024.
The police have now completed all necessary interviews and investigative measures and received final statements from various authorities and partners.
- We did not find any evidence in the criminal investigation to suggest that the victims had been bullied or discriminated against by the suspect, says Detective Chief Inspector Marko Särkkä.
The suspect took a photo of himself posing with the firearm and loaded it before entering the classroom. The events in the classroom have also been clarified in the course of the criminal investigation.
- The whole situation in the classroom took about one and a half minutes, and there were four shots fired in the classroom. When interviewed, the suspect said that he had intended to shoot a number of people, whom he had described as discriminators and name-callers in a list he had drawn up. According to the suspect, he had not seen the people on his list in the classroom, explains Särkkä.
According to the suspect, he had 14 cartridges with him. The police have not been able to verify the number of shots fired outside the classroom, but the suspect said that after leaving the classroom, he had fired several shots into the air, including one at a parked car.
Searches of the contents of the suspect's devices had already revealed his interest in school shooting websites and videos related to firearms and their operation. It was also found that the suspect had watched, among other things, a documentary series about the Kauhajoki school shooting on You Tube, as well as news broadcasts and animations about the Jokela school shooting. From the turn of the year 2023-2024 until the time of the shooting incident, his interest in the above-mentioned topics had clearly increased.
- The other victim, who was hospitalised for the longest time, has been discharged to home care. Having said that, the child’s condition is not good, as confirmed to the police by the child's relatives, says Särkkä.
We have already released information that the firearm used by the suspect belongs to a close relative. This case has been the subject of a separate criminal investigation by the Eastern Uusimaa Police Department, and it has been referred to the prosecutor for consideration of charges. Due to the young age of the suspect, this case concerning the school shooting incident will not be referred to the prosecutor.
