An 18 year old student armed with a .22 calibre pistol murdered 8 people and injured 10 others at Jokela High School in Tuusula in southern Finland on Wednesday 7 November. The school’s principal and nurse were among the dead. The assailant shot himself in the head and died in hospital the following day.
Finland has Europe’s highest rate of gun ownership, with approximately 55 guns per 100 people according to the Small Arms Survey. It has the third highest gun homicide rate in Western Europe.
The pistol was obtained legally after the student was granted a license on October 19, on the grounds that he belonged to a shooting club. Finnish firearms law permits civilians to own handguns from the age of 18 for sporting, hunting or collection purposes. If both parents consent, this can be lowered to 15 for sports shooting or hunting purposes.
Applicants are required to undergo a face-to-face interview with the police station, but not by a psychologist, and no further medical or psychological examinations are performed. There is no official waiting period, or “cooling off” time between application and granting of a license. Licenses are only granted for specific weapons, and owners must return to the police station to register the gun once it is purchased. However, there is no centralised database linking retailers and police records. There is also no restriction on the amount of ammunition gun holders are permitted to purchase. The assailant in Wednesday’s shooting was armed with around 500 rounds of ammunition.
Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy.
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