Gun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
Finland,Ukraine,Sweden,Denmark,Netherlands
Firearms Supplied to Ukraine Found in Crime in Scandinavia
2 November 2022
YLE (Finland)
Organised crime is growing in Finland and there is a strong demand for weapons. Routes and connections from Ukraine to Finland are already in place. The police are hoping for resources to deal with the increasing workload caused by the war in Ukraine.
Soldiers carry weapons in the woods.
Europol, the European police agency, has warned that international criminals are trying to smuggle weapons from war-torn Ukraine to various EU countries. Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba /... (GunPolicy.org)
Ukraine,Netherlands,Sweden,Finland,Germany,Poland,United States,Russia
NATO Countries Pour Weapons Into Ukraine
2 March 2022
New York Times
The Dutch are sending rocket launchers for air defense. The Estonians are sending Javelin antitank missiles. The Poles and the Latvians are sending Stinger surface-to-air missiles. The Czechs are sending machine guns, sniper rifles, pistols and ammunition.
Even formerly neutral countries like Sweden and Finland are sending weapons. And Germany, long allergic to sending weapons into conflict zones, is sending Stingers as well as other shoulder-launched rockets.
In all,... (GunPolicy.org)
Craft Weapons Seized in Finland
26 November 2017
MTV Finland
[Editor's Note: Translated from Finnish to English by GunPolicy.org]
In the forensic laboratory of the National Bureau of Investigation, between 30-40 homemade weapons are investigated annually. However, the figure is not the whole truth, as some of the weapons can be studied directly by the police without the work of the laboratory.
"Making a firearm is not a very demanding job," says technical researcher Pauli Heiskanen from the forensic laboratory.
In practice,... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland Streamlines Firearms Registration
26 June 2017
Sputnik News
While possession of firearms has long provoked heated discussions across the globe, for Finland it doesn't seem to be a matter for debate. With new gun laws, the Nordic country has simplified gun procurement to the extreme, effectively allowing firearm permit applications online and abolishing psychological evaluations and police interviews.
Starting from 2018, the process of applying for a gun permit in Finland will be as easy as shelling peas. Gun aficionados... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish Firearm Registration Simplified
25 June 2017
Yle News
[Editor's note: Translated from Finnish to English by GunPolicy.org]
New gun laws will soon make it easier for people to obtain firearms permits in Finland. The reforms will allow many firearm permit applications to be made on the internet, without a face-to-face meeting with police - even for first-time applicants. Gun permit applicants will also no longer be required to undergo psychological evaluations. The reforms go into effect at the beginning of next... (GunPolicy.org)
Seizure of Illicit Weapons Increases
24 May 2017
Iltalehti News
[Editor's note: Translated from Finnish to English by GunPolicy.org]
The number of firearms and supplies seized by the police has increased.
Last year, 5,384 (2016) firearms or weapons were seized by the police, compared to 3,675 (2015) in the previous... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,Turkmenistan,Finland,Uzbekistan,Saudi Arabia,United Arab Emirates
Finland Under Scrutiny for Rising Arms Exports to Conflict Zones
1 November 2016
Modern Tokyo Times
As the global economy continues its slow recovery from the 2008–2009 worldwide recession, armament sales appear to have been one of the few recession-proof export sectors. The greater Middle East has been main emporium for such purchases. While the United States and Russia remain the world's two leading armaments exporters, other countries have also rushed in to fill niche markets, such as small arms, training aircraft and light artillery. Notably, Finland has been... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Norway,Finland,Spain,Iceland,New Zealand,United Kingdom,Ireland
Handling Violence in Countries Where Police Don't Carry Guns
9 July 2016
Quartz (USA)
Another week, another police shooting in the United States. So far this year, 569 people have been killed by US police, according to The Guardian's count. Police brutality is a horrific normality and, in more ways than one, black men being shot by police has become the modern-day equivalent of lynching.
But, of course, it doesn't have to be this way. A police officer does not have to shoot to kill and, in several countries, a police officer does not even have to carry... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,Honduras,Finland,Philippines,Thailand,United Kingdom
US Gun Smugglers Illegally Sent Firearms to 46 Countries
16 March 2016
Washington Post
Arms trafficking from within the United States, long thought to be relegated to gun-running for Mexican drug cartels, is far more extensive than previously thought, according to a new report by a weapons research group released Wednesday.
The report, published by the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, examines more than 150 court cases involving arms trafficking from within the United States from 2010-2015. Spanning 46 countries and six continents, the report details... (GunPolicy.org)
Argentina,Canada,Mexico,Australia,United Kingdom,Russia,China,South Africa,United States,Israel,Norway,Finland,Germany,Switzerland
Three European Countries Lead US in Mass Shootings: WSJ
3 October 2015
Wall Street Journal
The latest U.S. shooting that ended in the deaths of 10 people at an Oregon college last week is reigniting calls for tighter gun laws and prompting comparisons to gun violence in other countries.
President Barack Obama asked why Americans can't follow the example of the U.K. and Australia. They crafted laws that "almost eliminate mass shootings," he said. "We know there are ways to prevent it."
Adam Lankford, an associate professor at the University of Alabama... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Yemen,Switzerland,Finland,Serbia
US Has 5% of World's Population, 31% of Mass Shootings
23 August 2015
EurekAlert! The Global Source for the Science News (USA) - American Association for the Advancement of Science
Chicago - Despite having only about 5 percent of the world's population, the United States was the attack site for a disproportionate 31 percent of public mass shooters globally from 1966-2012, according to new research that will be presented at the 110th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association (ASA).
"The United States, Yemen, Switzerland, Finland, and Serbia are ranked as the Top 5 countries in firearms owned per capita, according to the 2007 Small... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish Police Fired Their Guns Only Six Times in 2013
19 December 2014
YLE (Finland)
Finnish Police fired their guns on duty only six times in 2013, reports the Finnish news agency STT.
"The Finnish Police respond to slightly more than one million different kinds of emergency situations per year, so in light of this fact, it is very rare that we resort to using firearms," says Jukka Salomaa, an instructor in the use of force and strategies of engagement at Finland's Police University College.
The UK magazine The Economist reported in August that... (GunPolicy.org)
Duo Jailed for Plotting Shooting Spree at University of Helsinki
29 June 2014
Helsinki Times
The District Court of Helsinki on Thursday sentenced a 24-year-old man and woman to prison terms for a conspiracy to carry out a killing spree at the University of Helsinki.
The male defendant was sentenced to a prison term of three years and one month for the preparation of an aggravated offence against the health and life of others, and the possession of sexually obscene pictures depicting children following the discovery of 28 videos on his computer of minors... (GunPolicy.org)
Law Change Sees Fewer Firearm Permits Granted in Finland
15 May 2014
YLE (Finland)
Changing gun ownership laws in Finland have resulted in a decrease in the number of permits issued. Last year just under 60,000 permits were issued, compared with more than 85,000 in 2007.
While the Finnish government has recommended changes to firearm ownership laws for this year - a move that the police believe will curb the general public's enthusiasm for applying for firearm permits - the numbers are already down.
Last year, 59,324 gun permits were issued whereas... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,United States,United Kingdom,Finland
Australia, Scotland and Finland Changed Gun Laws after Mass Shootings
3 April 2014
Global Post (Boston)
The immeasurably tragic school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., which left 20 children and six adults dead in December 2012, horrified the world and briefly ignited a debate about gun control. Nine months later, the debate was held all over again after the mass shooting at a US Navy Yard in Washington, DC that killed 13 people.
America's most recent mass shooting took place Wednesday evening at Fort Hood Army base in Texas. The base was also the... (GunPolicy.org)
Slovenia,Malta,El Salvador,Denmark,Croatia,Hungary,Finland,Estonia,France,Spain,Italy,Bulgaria,United Kingdom,Germany,Slovakia,Ireland,Latvia,Romania
Methodists Welcome 18 Countries Ratifying Arms Trade Treaty Including UK
3 April 2014
Christian Today
The Methodist Church has praised the government's ratification of the UN's Arms Trade Treaty.
The President of the Methodist Conference, the Reverend Ruth Gee, hailed it as a "legal milestone that should help to protect those who are abused and oppressed".
Countries that ratify the treaty will be required to establish national arms regulators to control the exporting of conventional weapons and weapons components, and to properly regulate arms brokers. Domestic weapon... (GunPolicy.org)
Italy,United Kingdom,Slovakia,Germany,Romania,France,Spain,Bulgaria,Croatia,Malta,Denmark,El Salvador,Estonia,Finland,Hungary,Ireland,Slovenia,European Union,Latvia
18 Countries Ratify UN Arms Trade Treaty
2 April 2014
Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS — Eighteen countries, including five of the world's leading arms exporters, ratified a landmark treaty regulating the multibillion-dollar global arms trade on Wednesday, giving a significant boost to the campaign for the treaty's entry into force.
The ambassadors of the 18 countries handed over the documents at a U.N. ceremony on the first anniversary of the General Assembly's adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty, which is aimed at stemming the global... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish Police Worried as Gangs Amass Guns
9 January 2014
YLE (Finland)
According to Finnish police local underworld groups appear to be amassing more firepower each year and seem to be placing more emphasis on arming their members. Detective Inspector Tapio Kalliokoski of the National Bureau of Investigation said that the development is worrying.
"Firearms aren't toys. They are acquired for a certain purpose, whether it be self defence against other gangs or then as a precaution. For years police have been concerned about whether we are... (GunPolicy.org)
Five Injured After 'Chaotic' Shooting in Finland
14 December 2013
Xinhua
HELSINKI - Five people were shot and wounded in the Finnish capital city of Helsinki on Friday night, local media reported on Saturday.
Four men and one woman were among the wounded and were sent to hospital. Reports said that no one's life was in danger.
The shooting happened at midnight in Malminkartano Square in northern Helsinki as several gun shots were heard. The police received the first emergency call around 1:00 a.m. Saturday.
Preliminary investigation... (GunPolicy.org)
Denmark,Finland,Netherlands,Switzerland,Germany,Europe,United States,France,Israel,Spain,Austria,England & Wales,European Union
Authorities Worry 3-D Printers May Undermine Europe's Gun Laws
17 October 2013
New York Times
PARIS — The gun fired four shots into a gelatin block. Each nine-millimeter bullet punched deep into the substance, which was meant to mimic the density of a human body.
For the experts at the Austrian Interior Ministry performing the test, it was a clear sign: This was a deadly weapon.
But it was no ordinary gun. The officials had downloaded the gun's digital blueprints from the Internet and "printed" the weapon on a type of 3-D printer that any person could buy... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Netherlands,Switzerland,Finland,South Africa,England & Wales,Japan,United States
Around the World, Gun Ownership and Firearms Deaths Go Together
18 September 2013
National Public Radio (USA), Blog
A study on guns, violence and mental health, long scheduled to be published this week, finds that gun ownership is a bigger factor than mental illness when it comes to firearms deaths. But the data suggest that both play roles.
Earlier research has found that places with high rates of gun ownership have more firearms deaths, but critics of those findings say that it could be that people living in dangerous places are apt to buy firearms to protect themselves.
And the... (GunPolicy.org)
Tighter Gun Laws in Finland Halve Permits Granted, New Storage Rules Planned
6 September 2013
YLE (Finland)
Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen says she's satisfied with new proposals for even tighter restrictions on gun ownership in Finland. Räsänen told Yle that a previous raft of measures introduced in 20011 [sic] has already borne fruit, halving the number of gun permits granted.
According to Räsänen the number of firearms licenses issued has declined, partly because of age limits and in other cases due to a requirement to prove a reasonable case for owning a firearm,... (GunPolicy.org)
Panel Urges Tougher Gun Laws in Finland
5 September 2013
YLE (Finland)
A panel set up to reconsider Finland's gun laws is calling for tighter restrictions on the procurement, transport and storage of weapons.
The committee says that doctors should be required to inform police of individuals whom they consider unfit for gun ownership. This should take place, for instance, when someone is deemed to be a danger to him or herself by a forensic psychiatrist, or when a patient institutionalised against his or her will is considered to be... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Weapons Used in Every Second Gun Killing in Finland
15 July 2013
YLE (Finland)
In 45 percent of homicides in which a gun was used, the weapon was licensed and legally held. In killings where a hunting weapon was used, 52 percent of the weapons were legal.
The figures are based on statistics from the National Research Institute of Legal Policy covering 1,091 homicides between 2003 and 2011.
There are around 1.6 million legally licensed firearms in... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish Man Shoots, Kills Wife then Self After Allegedly Stalking Her
16 June 2013
YLE (Finland)
Police have sketched out a clearer picture of events leading up to an apparent murder-suicide that took place at Helsinki's west harbour Saturday afternoon. Officers interviewed eye witnesses as well as relatives of the Finnish-Estonian couple.
Helsinki police say that they have for the most part been able to piece together a narrative of events preceding a deadly shooting incident at Helsinki's west harbour Saturday, in which a Finnish man shot and killed his Estonian... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Australia,Finland,Africa,Germany
More Than 65 Countries Sign Arms Trade Treaty
3 June 2013
Time (USA)
More than 65 countries signed the landmark treaty regulating the multibillion-dollar global arms trade Monday and the United States announced it will sign soon, giving a strong kickoff to the first major international campaign to stem the illicit trade in weapons that fuel conflicts and extremists.
The announcement by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that the U.S. — the world's largest arms dealer — will sign is critical, but the treaty's ultimate strength rests... (GunPolicy.org)
Record Number of Firearms Seized from Motorcycle Gangs in Finland
25 April 2013
YLE (Finland)
The number of firearms seized by police from motorcycle gangs classed as criminal groups has risen sharply over the past few years. A decade ago, police on average confiscated only a few dozen guns annually from motorcycle gangs. Since 2010, more than 400 have been seized, nearly 250 of which are handguns.
"The weapons seized include pistols, revolvers, a few shotguns and ten sub-machine guns. Ammunition has also been confiscated. Some of the guns had been made... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns of 15,000 Abusive Men Seized in Turkey
14 April 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
Family and Social Policy Minister Fatma Şahin has announced that the weapons of 15,000 men found to have been involved in violence against women have been confiscated as a protective measure since the Law on the Prevention of Violence against Women came into effect 13 months ago.
Speaking to the Akşam daily during her visit to Helsinki, Şahin provided some details about the implementation of Law No. 6284 on the Prevention of Violence against Women and the Protection... (GunPolicy.org)
Sweden,Uruguay,Finland,Iraq,Saudi Arabia,Cyprus,Switzerland,Yemen,Serbia,United States
10 Nations with Highest Gun Ownership
12 March 2013
SiliconIndia
Bangalore: "Force and mind are opposites; morality ends where a gun begins," said novelist Ayn Rand. In an era where the misuse of guns and ammunitions are leading to massacres, it is no more a place of nonviolence. Arms and ammunitions leave bitter memories and scar the human race for ages to come. Here are the 10 countries with highest gun ownership, as listed by yahoo.com.
USA:
USA tops the list of countries with highest gun ownership and this no surprise! The... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland,United States,European Union,Germany,Switzerland,Russia,South Africa,Mexico
Registry Shows Germans Fourth in World for Guns
17 February 2013
Local (Germany)
Figures compiled for Germany's new National Weapons Registry reveal that there are 5.4 million legally owned guns in the country, making it the world's fourth most-armed nation per capita.
Der Spiegel magazine reported on Sunday that the state of Bavaria topped the list with 1.1 million, followed by North Rhine-Westphalia with 1 million and Baden-Württemberg with 700,000.
The new national gun register bundles together the data from over 500 local authorities, which... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Estonia,Finland,Colombia,South Africa,Sudan,Western Europe
13 Key Questions and Answers about US Gun Violence
4 February 2013
Atlantic (USA)
How much gun violence is there in the U.S.?
There were 8,583 homicides by firearms in 2011, out of 12,664 homicides total, according to the FBI. This means that more than two-thirds of homicides involve a firearm. 6,220 of those homicides by firearm (72%) are known to have involved a handgun.
It's worth noting that violent crime rates of all types have been steadily decreasing since the early 1990s. No one is quite sure what is causing this decrease, though there are... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Plans 'Gun Appreciation Day' as Tougher Controls Debated
15 January 2013
Time (USA)
Well, this is awkward: Some Americans are celebrating Gun Appreciation Day on Jan. 19 — two days before President Obama's second inauguration, nine days after a teenager opened fire at a California high school, the same week as the one-month anniversary of the Newtown, Conn. school shooting and the same month as the second anniversary of the Gabrielle Giffords shooting in Tuscon, Ariz.
But Gun Appreciation Day isn't a long-standing tradition with poor timing. Nope,... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Ownership, Trends Remain Unchanged in Estonia
7 January 2013
ERR News (Estonia)
While fears of possible changes to gun laws have prompted some Americans to make a run on semi-automatic weapons, Estonian gun ownership numbers remain relatively low and are holding steady.
ERR radio reported the number of legal guns in the past seven to eight years to be stable at 60,000 guns in the hands of 30,000 people, half of them hunters.
Police captain Sven Põierpaas estimated this number to be "optimal."
"Estonians are reasonable and balanced,... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland, US Sign Tracing Agreement to Fight Illegal Gun Trafficking
4 January 2013
PR Newswire (London), Media release
WASHINGTON - The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will provide eTrace, an electronic system used to trace illegal firearms, to Finland — in an ongoing effort to combat firearms trafficking.
The MOU establishes conditions of the partnership regarding the procedures to access and use eTrace services made available to law enforcement agencies in Finland.
eTrace is a paperless firearm trace... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Finland,Colombia,Mexico,Western Europe,Australia,Yemen,Canada,New Zealand,United States
On Guns and Gun Law, America an Outlier Among Developed Nations
20 December 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
How freely do guns flow in the United States compared with the world's other industrialized countries?
According to GunPolicy.org, run by Philip Alpers, a firearms analyst at The University of Sydney, the United States is unusual with what Alpers described as the "two pillars" of gun control: licensing gun owners and registering weapons.
"You are basically the only country in the developed world that doesn't license gun owners across the board and you are almost alone... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,Norway,Switzerland,Canada,Germany,Spain,Finland,United States,United Kingdom,Australia
Homicides Down after Tougher Gun Laws Adopted Abroad
19 December 2012
Los Angeles Times
Twelve days after the worst mass murder in Australian history, when 35 people were shot to death at Tasmania state's Port Arthur tourist mecca in 1996, the government issued sweeping reforms of the country's gun laws. There hasn't been a mass shooting since, and suicides, deaths by firearms and robberies at gunpoint have plummeted.
The results of toughened gun rules in Britain after the massacre in the Scottish town of Dunblane that same year weren't so immediate or... (GunPolicy.org)
Norway,Switzerland,Finland,Germany,Canada,Australia,United Kingdom,United States
Around the World, Gun Massacres Spurred Gun Control, Public Safety
18 December 2012
ABC News (USA) / AP
If there's anywhere that understands the pain of Newtown, it's Dunblane, the town whose grief became a catalyst for changes to Britain's gun laws.
In March 1996, a 43-year-old man named Thomas Hamilton walked into a primary school in this central Scotland town of 8,000 people and shot to death 16 kindergarten-age children and their teacher with four legally held handguns. In the weeks that followed, people in the town formed the Snowdrop campaign — named for the... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland Govt Group Calls for Stricter Gun and Airgun Storage Rules
3 December 2012
YLE (Finland)
A Ministry of the Interior working group has proposed stricter conditions and clarifications to current legislation concerning the use of firearms. If the proposals are accepted, all firearms and accessories will be kept under lock and key.
Current legislation demands that guns be kept under lock or that gun components should be kept in a separate location than the actual weapon.
Owners of particularly dangerous firearms or five individual guns will have to purchase... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Suspect Jealousy in Finland Shooting, 3 People Dead
17 November 2012
ABC News (USA)
Three people were shot dead in southwestern Finland, most likely in an attack motivated by jealousy, Finnish police said Saturday.
No others were injured in the shooting by a farmhouse in the small town of Alavus, 350 kilometers (218 miles) northwest of Helsinki.
Officers were alerted to the scene by a passer-by around noon Saturday, then found the bodies of a man and a woman — both shot with a gun — in a car outside the house. The body of the suspected shooter, a... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland to Get Computerised Civilian Gun Registry
6 September 2012
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
After a long wait, Finnish police are getting a new electronic registry of firearms owned by citizens. Alongside the Vitja data system, which is to be launched in 2014, the registry is set to make it considerably easier for police to keep tabs on firearms in Finland.
In the early stages the new firearms registry will streamline processing of licence applications. There will be less paperwork, as the applications will be made directly into the data system.
Deputy... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland MP Calls for Law Review After Two Children Shot Dead
29 August 2012
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
Minister of the Interior Päivi Räsänen (Christ. Dem.) called for tighter legislation on gun safety on Sunday.
She voiced her views to Helsingin Sanomat after two shocking incidents at the weekend in the North Savo region, in which two children were killed by accidental gunfire.
The first tragedy took place on Friday night when two brothers, aged five and eight, found a gun in their house.
The loaded firearm went off and hit the five-year-old in the head. He... (GunPolicy.org)
Changes in Law Reduces Demand for Handguns in Finland
6 August 2012
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
New firearms legislation, which was prompted by two school massacres in Finland in 2007 and 2008, appears to have led to a sharp decline in applications for handgun licences.
"Many dealers still have guns acquired in 2009 in their storerooms, and that is where they will stay", says Timo Huikkala, vice chairman of the Finnish Association of Gun Dealers.
A new law took effect in June, placing strict conditions for handgun permits. Retailers say that sales of handguns... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland Teens Threatened with Gun at Church Camp in Estonia
16 July 2012
ERR News (Estonia)
A man threatened members of a Finnish church youth camp in south central Estonia with a gun before fleeing, a local newspaper reported today.
According to Sakala, the individual, who was described by witnesses as behaving erratically and aggressively, accosted a group leader of the camp on the main street of the village of Pilistvere around 21:00 on Thursday evening.
A boy in the group came to the defense of the female group leader, at which point the man grabbed the... (GunPolicy.org)
Nearly 90% of Finnish Guns Are Outside the Helsinki Region - Study
7 June 2012
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
The Helsinki metropolitan area has significantly fewer firearms per capita than the rest of Finland. Whereas the whole country has 29 weapons per 100 people, the rate in the Helsinki region is 13 to 100.
The Helsinki region also stands out in the types of weapons that are most common. Pistols and revolvers are more common in the greater Helsinki area than elsewhere in the country.
Handguns account for 27 per cent of firearms in Helsinki and its surroundings, compared... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish Gunman Had Picked Up 3 Guns Out of a Relative's Locked Cabinet
28 May 2012
Agence France Presse
HELSINKI — An 18-year-old Finn who has confessed to killing two students and injuring seven others in a weekend shooting spree in a small Finnish town was on Monday remanded in custody, media reported.
The man, named by media as Eero Hiltunen, was after a drawn-out hearing at the Hyvinkaeae district court ordered to remain detained late Monday afternoon on two counts of murder and seven attempted murders, the Huvudstadsbladed daily reported in its online... (GunPolicy.org)
Upcoming Changes to Finnish Gun Laws May Include Stricter Storage
26 May 2012
YLE (Finland)
In the wake of Saturday's fatal shootings, Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen indicated that upcoming changes to gun laws may include stricter rules about keeping firearms under lock and key.
An Interior Ministry working group is reviewing proposals for tougher gun laws that could come into force during the term of the current Parliament.
Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen said Saturday that regulations on the storage of firearms could get stricter. In future, the law... (GunPolicy.org)
Unlicensed 18yr-old Finnish Sniper Kills 2, Wounds 7 With Hunting Rifle
26 May 2012
BBC News
A gunman fired from the rooftop of a house in a southern Finnish town, killing two people and injuring seven others, the authorities have said.
Police arrested an 18-year-old man suspected of the shootings in Hyvinkaa, 50km (30 miles) north of Helsinki.
A man and a woman, both 18 years old, were killed in the incident. A police officer was among the wounded.
Some of the injured were said to be in a serious condition and have been taken to Helsinki for emergency... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe,Norway,Netherlands,United Kingdom,Germany,Finland,Switzerland
Gun Attacks in Europe and Their Effect on Gun Control Laws
14 December 2011
BBC News
As more details emerge of the shooting spree and grenade attack in Belgium in which five people died, the BBC News website takes a look at other recent incidents in Europe - and the effect they have had on each country's laws.
Norway
Seventy-seven people were killed in twin attacks on 22 July 2011 in Norway. Anders Behring Breivik has admitted that he planted a car bomb that exploded close to government offices in the capital Oslo, killing eight people. He then drove... (GunPolicy.org)
European Union,China,Germany,South Korea,Switzerland,Serbia,France,United Kingdom,Syria,Yemen,Bulgaria,Belgium,Libya,Italy,Bahrain,Egypt,United States,Russia,West Asia,North Africa,Finland,Austria,Sudan,North Korea,Spain
Tracing the Middle East Weapons Flow
19 October 2011
al Jazeera
Earlier this year, as mass popular uprisings spread through the Middle East and audiences across the world sat transfixed by images of unarmed citizens confronting iron-fisted security forces in the streets of Arab capitals, powerful governments from Russia to the United States were forced to begin accounting for the weapons they had for decades sold to the very rulers they now found themselves abandoning.
In Egypt and Bahrain, protesters held up tear gas canisters... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland,Netherlands,European Union,Sweden
Murder in Finland, Sweden, Netherlands: Drunk Friends v Criminals - Study
6 October 2011
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
Finland rightly appears rather high on the statistics for violent crime in Europe, but as so often behind the statistical data there lie a number of caveats and a lot of small print.
There are, for instance, large differences between different EU nations when it comes to the reasons for homicides and the methods used in such crimes.
In Finland, a typical person to commit a homicide is a middle-aged heavy consumer of alcohol and the victim is his drunken contemporary.... (GunPolicy.org)
Norway,Finland,Denmark,Iceland,Sweden
Nordic Countries Set Sights on Stricter Gun Control after Norway Attacks
16 August 2011
Agence France Presse
STOCKHOLM — In the Nordic countries, where hunting is popular and firearms are plentiful, the twin July 22 attacks that killed 77 people in Norway have spurred lawmakers to consider tighter gun laws.
But change will not come without resistance in a region where hunting is viewed by many as a cultural heritage passed down from Viking ancestors, and sport shooting is a favourite pastime.
Finland, which has one of the world's highest gun ownership rates at 1.5 million... (GunPolicy.org)
In Wake of Oslo, Finland Advances Meeting to Reconsider Its Gun Laws
24 July 2011
YLE (Finland)
Finland's gun laws are to be reviewed in the wake of Friday's massacre in Norway. An Interior Ministry steering group will meet early in the week to look at pending firearms legislation.
Acting National Police Chief Pentti Saira told YLE on Saturday that Friday's attacks in Norway have given new impetus to moving ahead with changes to gun laws.
"The programme of the new government includes a second package of firearms legislation which is now under preparation. There... (GunPolicy.org)
Tougher Gun Laws Go into Effect in Finland after Shootings
13 June 2011
univision.com / AFP
Tougher hand gun laws went into effect in Finland Monday, after being pushed through parliament amid outrage over two recent school massacres and a shopping centre shooting spree.
The new legislation raises the minimum age for a handgun permit from 18 to 20 years of age, requires applicants to be trained by a police-approved instructor at a gun club, and obliges medical and military personnel to report anyone they feel is mentally or socially unsuitable to own a... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Yemen,Finland,Switzerland,United Kingdom,Japan,Pakistan,Saudi Arabia
Civilians Own 74% of All Guns Globally, Firearm Laws Differ Greatly
15 December 2010
Times of India
The 'Gun Debate' has engaged many parts of the world for decades and both public opinion and lawmakers in different countries differ considerably on this question. Interestingly, 74% of all firearms globally are owned by civilians.
The right to own a firearm is a major issue in US politics and many Americans consider the possession of firearms a time-honoured custom. Strong gun-supporting lobbies like the National Rifle Association spend millions of dollars to fight... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland Approves New Gun Control Act to Further Restrict Firearms
27 October 2010
Xinhua
The Finnish parliament approved a newly amended Gun Control Act through voting on Wednesday, in order to further tighten controls on firearms, especially hand weapons in the whole country.
During the period of less than one year from November 2007 to September 2008, two fatal school shooting incidents happened in Finland, causing 18 deaths, and the two murders' suicides. The murders easily received gun licenses before committing offences, providing convenience to... (GunPolicy.org)
Doctors Fear for Their Lives Reporting Unfit Gun Owners to Finnish Police
8 October 2010
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
Doctors in Finland will be obliged unconditionally to inform the police if an individual seeking treatment from them is unfit to carry a firearm.
The present holders of a firearms licence are not to be exempt from this rule, either.
The Parliamentary Administration Committee completed on Thursday its report on the Law on Firearms after working on it for a year and a half. Ten of the committee's 17 members own a firearm.
The committee's chairman Antti Rantakangas... (GunPolicy.org)
School Mass Shootings Prompt Finland to Restrict Handgun Licensing
16 August 2010
BBC News
When Finland experienced two school shootings in just 10 months it sparked a national debate about the country's relatively relaxed gun laws, now the government hopes new legislation will reduce the number of guns in the country and make another mass shooting less likely in the future.
In 2007, 18-year-old Pekka-Eric Auvinen walked into Jokela High School in the town of Tuusula where he was studying. He shot seven pupils and the head teacher, before turning the gun on... (GunPolicy.org)
'Small Issue' Sparks Gun Battle at MacDonald's in Finland, 3 Men Dead
6 July 2010
CNN
A quarrel between occupants of two vehicles at a McDonald's restaurant drive-through in southern Finland erupted in gunfire Tuesday, leaving three men dead, police said.
Three occupants in one of the vehicles have been arrested, said Peter Fagerholm, a detective inspector in the town of Porvoo.
The two vehicles were in line at the restaurant about 2 a.m. when the quarrel began, Fagerholm said. Shots from a semiautomatic handgun were fired from a Toyota SUV into a... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland Decides Once Again Not to Ban Handguns Used in Mass Shootings
21 June 2010
YLE (Finland)
Government is clamping down on Finland's gun law but does not plan to ban semiautomatic weapons. An investigation board set up to review the Kauhajoki school shooting has recommended banning the weapons.
In 2008, ten lives were taken in a school shooting in Kauhajoki, western Finland. Officials established an investigation board to try to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.
Last February, the board proposed a total ban on semiautomatic weapons. It said this would be the... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish Police Think to Cancel Gun Licences of Criminals, Drug Abusers
31 May 2010
YLE (Finland)
Finnish police has cancelled around thousand gun licences. The cancellations mostly concern licence carriers with a history of violent crime or drug abuse. Nearly eight-hundred licence holders have been cautioned for reoccurring arrests over drunkenness. This is the first time police is cross-checking gun licenses with their criminal records.
The police initiated a research on 5500 gun licences. Around 40000 gun owners are listed in Police's criminal records. The move... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland Divided on Firearm Possession After Recent Deadly Shootings
27 May 2010
RT-TV Novosti (Russia)
Finland has one of the highest concentrations of gun owners per capita in the world. However, after three deadly shooting sprees in the past couple of years, campaigners say it is about time the issue was reassessed.
Gun shop owner Mika Nevalainen says the only gun-related problem he knows of is that not enough people are buying them. Nonetheless, there is a stream of customers coming into his weapons shop in central Helsinki.
With a population of just over five... (GunPolicy.org)
Commission Proposes Ban on Semi-automatic Handguns in Finland
4 March 2010
Macleans (Canada)
On Sept. 23, 2008, a culinary student named Matti Juhani Saari walked into a vocational college in Kauhajoki, Finland, drew a semi-automatic pistol, and killed 10 people before taking his own life. Less than a year earlier, an 18-year-old fatally shot eight people at a high school in Tuusula, 50 km north of Helsinki, before killing himself. In the wake of Saari's rampage, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen promised a grieving nation that "events like this would not... (GunPolicy.org)
National Handgun Ban Mooted After String of Shootings in Finland
17 February 2010
Associated Press
HELSINKI, Finland - A Finnish government commission on Wednesday proposed a ban on semiautomatic handguns after two school shootings in recent years left 20 people dead.
The ban, which needs parliamentary approval, would sharply reduce the number of legal weapons in a country that ranks among the world's top five in civilian gun ownership.
"We've had a very weapon-friendly culture," commission chairman Pekka Sauri said. "In carrying out the proposals we would, of... (GunPolicy.org)
'Jealous' Finland Gunman Stalked, Killed Ex-girlfiend, 4 Others, Self
3 January 2010
Sydney Morning Herald
A man who killed his former girlfriend then shot dead four of her work colleagues at a shopping mall in Finland appears to have deliberately pinpointed his victims.
Ibrahim Shkupolli, a father of three originally from Kosovo, ended his New Year's Eve killing spree by turning his weapon on himself, bringing the overall toll from the tragedy in the Helsinki suburb of Espoo to six.
As relatives tried to come to terms with their loss, investigators said they believed... (GunPolicy.org)
Gunman Kills Ex-Girlfriend, 4 Others, Self in Finland's Latest Mass Shooting
1 January 2010
Independent (UK)
After two mass shootings in two years, Finns had been hoping they had seen an end to such murderous outbreaks. But yesterday the small Scandinavian nation's nightmare returned when a solitary gunman dressed in black killed five shop assistants near Helsinki, sparking fresh concerns over the country's liberal gun laws.
The gunman, who had previous convictions for gun offences, shot his ex-girlfriend with an unlicensed handgun at her flat in the town of Espoo, six miles... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland to Tighten 'Primitive' Gun Control Laws
1 January 2010
Xinhua
HELSINKI,Finland - Finnish Interior Minister Anne Holmlund said on Saturday that Finland will amend the gun law to tighten control on guns, Finnish media reported on Saturday.
A 43-year-old man named Ibrahim Shkupolli, a Kosovo Albanian, shot and killed four employees at Sello shopping center in Espoo, southern Finland, as well as his ex-girlfriend at her home, who was also employed there, and finally himself on Thursday.
The shooting rampage has again aroused Finnish... (GunPolicy.org)
Latest Finland Shooting Spree Prompts New Gun Law
1 January 2010
Agence France Presse
Finland is in mourning after a jealous ex-lover shot dead his former girlfriend and four of her work colleagues in the latest armed rampage which has reignited debate on the country's gun controls.
Ibrahim Shkupolli ended his killing spree on Thursday by turning his weapon on himself, bringing the overall toll from the tragedy in the normally sleepy Helsinki suburb of Espoo to six.
As relatives of the victims tried to come to terms with their loss, Prime Minister... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Say Finland Shopping Mall Gunman Stalked, Chose His Victims
1 January 2010
Associated Press
ESPOO,Finland - The gunman who killed five people during a shooting rampage in Finland apparently chose his victims, police said Friday.
Chief investigator Esa Gronlund of the National Bureau of Investigation told reporters that a preliminary investigation has indicated that Ibrahim Shkupolli's method of shooting the five Finns, most of them at a shopping mall in the town of Espoo, suggest that he had planned Thursday's slayings, though the investigator declined to... (GunPolicy.org)
Police to Give 2 Weeks Notice Before Inspecting Private Guns in Finland
16 August 2009
YLE (Finland)
New gun control legislation may give police new enforcement powers. The Sunday newspaper supplement Sunnuntaisuomalainen writes that new legislation, under preparation, will allow the police to inspect the homes of gun permit holders without the need to establish suspicion of a crime.
However, they will have to inform the permit holder of their intention two weeks in advance.
Tougher gun laws being formulated in the wake of school shootings in Finland will require... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe,Germany,Portugal,Belgium,Finland,Switzerland
European Countries Tighten Gun Laws But More Needed, Say Experts
12 March 2009
Associated Press
School shootings and other gun crimes have spurred European governments to tighten their gun laws but the measures have been uneven across the continent, experts said Thursday.
Dramatic incidents, such as Wednesday's rampage by a 17-year-old gunman who killed 15 people at his former school in Germany, often jolt authorities into action.
Finland announced plans Wednesday to impose stricter restrictions on firearms, including raising the minimum age for handgun... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,Europe,Finland,Belgium,Switzerland,Portugal,Denmark
Europe Hurries to Tighten Gun Laws After Mass Shooting Attacks
11 March 2009
Associated Press
HELSINKI — Several European countries have restricted gun laws in the wake of school massacres, gang violence and other gun-related crimes:
- Finland announced plans Wednesday to impose stricter restrictions on firearms, including raising the minimum age for handgun ownership from 15 to 20. The proposal was prompted by two school massacres within a year in which lone gunmen opened fire on classmates and teachers.
- Germany, where a gunman killed at least 11 people... (GunPolicy.org)
New Proof of Mental Health Slows Gun Sales, Dealer Profits in Finland
22 February 2009
YLE News (Finland)
The Association of Arms Retailers says that the recent introduction of tighter regulations for firearm permits, in particular the requirement of a mental health certificate from a physician, has severely impacted firearm sales.
Merchants are seriously concerned about their businesses.
"The requirement for a health certificate in itself has become a economic barrier to legal firearm sales," says Association chairman Pasi Säynäjoki.
The Association estimates that... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Registry Full of Errors, Wrong Numbers Says Finnish Gun Dealer
16 November 2008
Helsinki Times / Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
The national daily Helsingin Sanomat reports that the national weapons register is rife with mistakes and inaccuracies.
"The Interior Ministry's weapons register is outdated and highly inaccurate. Many mistakes were made when the register's data was converted from file cards to an electronic registry in 1992. Already before this, White Guard rifles, for example, have been registered with a type number instead of a manufacture number. 'For God's sake, in Finland we... (GunPolicy.org)
Defence Minister, 57,000 Others Sign Petition to Ban Guns in Finland
12 November 2008
Agence France Presse
HELSINKI — A petition signed by more than 57,000 people demanding a ban on handguns was presented yesterday to the Finnish government, just weeks after the second school massacre in a year sent shockwaves through the Nordic country.
The petition, calling for a total ban on private ownership of guns with barrels shorter than 600mm (23.6 inches), was handed over to Interior Minister Anne Holmlund.
Finnish Defence Minister Elisabeth Rehn was among those who signed the... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland,Yemen,Switzerland,United States,United Nations
Global Gun Ownership: Finland, Yemen, Switzerland, USA - Keith Krause
23 October 2008
Chicago Public Radio, Audio
Last month, a 22-year-old student walked into his trade school in Finland and opened fire. He killed 10 people before shooting himself. The school massacre was the second Finland experienced in less than a year.
Keith Krause is the Program Director of the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project located at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Switzerland.
The Small Arms Survey puts out an annual study on the production,... (GunPolicy.org)
Shooting Motive Speculation, Gun Control Talk Not Going Far in Finland
1 October 2008
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
As a country, Finland is armed to the teeth. There are more than 1,6 million legal weapons in the weapons register, spread out among nearly 650,000 owners.
On a per capita basis we have the fourth largest number of small arms in the world, right after the United States, Yemen, and Switzerland. According to a Swiss estimate, Finland has an estimated 2,375,000 legal and illegal firearms — that is, one gun for nearly every second Finn.
The good news is that the law... (GunPolicy.org)
Shooters Must Now Pass Medical Check, Wait for 1st Handgun in Finland
30 September 2008
BBC News
Finland has introduced stricter rules on gun permits, following a school shooting in which 11 people died.
Handgun permits would no longer be granted to first-time applicants, the interior ministry said.
Instead, they must train for at least a year at a gun club before being allowed to apply for a permit.
All applicants must also provide a note from a doctor about their mental health and sit an interview with police. The new rules cover pistols and revolvers.... (GunPolicy.org)
United Nations,Finland,New Zealand,United States,Australia,Canada,France,Belgium,Sweden,Switzerland,South Africa,Austria,Israel,Brazil,Germany
Comparison of Key Handgun Restrictions in 14 Industrialised Countries
25 September 2008
Economist
Finland's government is introducing tougher regulations on handguns following a mass shooting at a school on Tuesday September 23rd, the second in under a year.
The country had been among the most lenient in the world, allowing 15-year-olds to keep a handgun under parental supervision, requiring no medical or psychological tests and no minimum wait for those buying weapons.
The gun-death rate (whether murder, accident or suicide) in rich countries is highest where... (GunPolicy.org)
School Shooting Puts Focus on Police Gun Decision, Firearms in Finland
25 September 2008
News.com.au
The officer who questioned but released a Finnish student who went on a murderous rampage a day later has gone on sick leave.
"The inspector is now on sick leave," national police commissioner Mikko Paatero said overnight.
Mr Paatero's secretary said the policeman, whose name has not been disclosed, had asked to be put on sick leave.
The inspector had questioned 22-year-old gunman Matti Saari on Monday after Saari posted video clips on the videosharing website... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish Government Readies Handgun Control Bill, Rejects Total Ban
24 September 2008
Newsroom Finland / STT, Media release
The Finnish government said Wednesday that it would hand the first of two handgun control bills to Parliament in the spring.
The announcement came a day after a vocational school student killed 10 students and staff in Kauhajoki, echoing a similar tragedy in Jokela less than a year ago.
Anne Holmlund (cons), the Finnish interior minister, said the government would pursue tighter handgun controls in two stages but rejected a total ban.
She added that the first... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland Bewildered at Deadly School Shootings, Easy Access to Guns
24 September 2008
Associated Press
KAUHAJOKI, Finland — This sparsely populated nation near the Arctic Circle has long clung to an ethos of rugged individualism where, unlike in most of Western Europe, the right to bear arms is deeply ingrained in the culture.
Stunned by the second school massacre in a year, however, Finns are questioning their gun laws and other social problems such as rampant alcoholism and high suicide rates.
Leading newspapers splashed the word "Why?" on their front pages,... (GunPolicy.org)
Angry Finland Focuses on Gun Control, 'Wall of Opposition' from Shooters
24 September 2008
BBC News
KAUHAJOKI — Finns have heard it all before — authorities promising to tighten the laws on gun control.
They heard it last year, after an 18-year-old student went on a shooting spree in a Finnish high school.
And they have been hearing it again since Matti Saari killed nine of his colleagues and one teacher in a vocational school here in Kauhajoki.
Finland's prime minister has already called for tighter gun controls. But will they be introduced?
Still reeling... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland Once Again Considers Tighter Gun Law After a School Massacre
24 September 2008
Xinhua
STOCKHOLM — The mass murders in a school shooting Tuesday in the Finnish town of Kauhajoki would lead to changes in the Firearms Act, Finland's Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen has said, according to reports reaching here from Helsinki.
Addressing a news conference, Vanhanen said he expected a lively debate on gun control, reported Finnish News Agency STT.
"It goes without saying that one must analyze carefully what has happened and what sorts of changes may serve to... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed 'YouTube' Gunman Freed by Police Before Finland Massacre
24 September 2008
Times (UK)
HELSINKI — The images show a young man, dressed in black, firing his automatic pistol and delivering the chilling warning: "You will die next."
The video posted on YouTube alerted police, who detained the student chef on Monday. But he walked free only to carry out his threat.
Matti Juhani Saari, 22, went on the rampage at the Kauhajoki School of Hospitality yesterday. Ninety minutes later, nine members of his catering college were dead. He then turned the gun on... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Gun Owner Kills 10 in Finland School Shooting Rampage
24 September 2008
Sydney Morning Herald
A student who went on a murderous rampage at a Finnish school on Tuesday, killing 10 people before turning his gun on himself, left behind a note that could explain the tragic act, police said.
"We have found a message in his flat, but we will not publish it yet," head of the police investigation Jari Neulaniemi told the YLE public broadcaster.
"It might reveal some kind of motive, in his words, for this terrible act," he added.
The massacre at the vocational college... (GunPolicy.org)
Facts, Figures on Finland's Gun Law, Gun Ownership, Gun Death - AP
23 September 2008
Associated Press
Facts and figures about Finland's gun laws and gun ownership.
HIGHLY ARMED: Finland has roughly 1.6 million firearms in private hands. The country's 650,000 licensed gun owners — about 13 percent of the population of 5.2 million — include hunters, practice shooters and gun collectors.
In Europe, only Switzerland comes close to Finland in gun ownership: each member of Switzerland's militia army is allowed to keep his gun after completing military service.
LAX GUN... (GunPolicy.org)
Massacre in Finland: PM Says Handguns Should Not Leave Pistol Club
23 September 2008
BBC News
Finland's prime minister has called for gun laws to be tightened after a school shooting that left 11 people dead.
Matti Vanhanen said he believed handguns should no longer be used outside shooting ranges.
Matti Juhani Saari shot fellow students at a college in western Finland before turning his gun on himself.
It emerged that he had been questioned by police after posting on the internet a video clip of himself at a shooting range, but had not been detained.... (GunPolicy.org)
Another Finland Gun Club Member Shoots, Kills 10 College Students
23 September 2008
Agence France Presse
KAUHAJOKI, Finland — A masked student went on the rampage at a Finnish school Tuesday, methodically gunning down 10 people before killing himself, a day after police quizzed him over a chilling YouTube warning.
Young women screamed as the 22-year-old shooter stalked the corridors of the vocational college in a ski mask and black outfit letting off round after round at helpless students before starting several fires, witnesses and police said.
The massacre in... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Finnish Gunman Made Web Videos, Killed 10, Self at School
23 September 2008
Associated Press
KAUHAJOKI, Finland — A chilling YouTube video with a young man firing a pistol and warning "You will die next" caught the eye of police, who questioned him but then let him go, saying they didn't have enough evidence to take away his weapon.
On Tuesday, he walked into a vocational college, the School of Hospitality, and opened fire, killing 10 people and burning their bodies with firebombs before shooting himself fatally in the head. At least two other people were... (GunPolicy.org)
Gunman Goes on Rampage at Finnish School, Kills Several - Report
23 September 2008
Sydney Morning Herald
A gunman went on a rampage inside a Finnish trade school on Tuesday, killing an unknown number of people, fire officials said amid reports that he had turned his gun on himself.
"There are dead people. We have not counted them. It's a big school," local fire department chief Ahti Yli-Mannila told AFP.
Police said "many shots" had been fired inside the school, located in the southwestern Finnish town of Kauhajoki, some 360 kilometres from Helsinki.
Finnish public... (GunPolicy.org)
Several Dead as School Shooting Unfolds in Heavily Armed Finland
23 September 2008
Associated Press
HELSINKI, Finland — Finnish broadcaster YLE is reporting that several people have been fatally shot by a gunman who opened fire at a vocational school.
YLE is citing police at the school in Kauhajoki in western Finland. Police could not immediately be reached to confirm the report. They said earlier Tuesday that several people were feared wounded and that the gunman had been disarmed.
This is a breaking news update. Check back soon for further information. AP's... (GunPolicy.org)
High School Gunman Kills Students with 'Automatic Weapon' in Finland
23 September 2008
BBC News
Several people are feared dead, with more injured, after a man opened fire at a college in western Finland.
Police said the gunman, thought to be a 20-year-old student, was then disarmed, but local media say he shot himself.
He was carrying an automatic weapon and wearing a ski mask when he entered the college in Kauhajoki, reports said.
Last November a student shot dead eight people at a school in Tuusula. Gun ownership in Finland is among the highest in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Kills Two Adult Daughters, His Wife, Then Himself in Finland
15 June 2008
Associated Press
HELSINKI, Finland — An 88-year-old man on Sunday killed his two disabled adult daughters and shot his bedridden wife before turning the gun on himself in northern Finland, police said.
The man's wife, also in her 80s, later died at a hospital, police said.
The mentally handicapped daughters, both in their 50s, died immediately from gunshot wounds at home in Ylitornio, about 500 miles north of the capital, Helsinki, police said.
After shooting his daughters, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Airguns to Be Included in Finland's Gun Law, Owner Licensing Update
6 June 2008
YLE News (Finland)
New rules governing the sale of air guns are being planned by the Ministry of the Interior.
A licence would be needed for a type of air rifle, the fire power of which is equivalent to that of a small-bore rifle.
The newspaper Turun Sanomat reports the Ministry is worried about the proliferation of small arms.
The calibre of larger guns on sale is nine millimetres, which is equivalent to that of arms carried by the police. The Ministry says one alternative would be... (GunPolicy.org)
Report on Finland's Campus Mass Shooting Sees Little Hope of Prevention
17 April 2008
International Herald Tribune
TUUSULA, Finland — Five months after an 18-year-old student killed eight people at a Finnish school before turning the gun on himself, authorities say they can do little to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
A police investigation that wrapped up on Thursday concluded 18-year-old gunman Pekka-Eric Auvinen acted alone in the November 7 shooting. In the days and hours before the massacre the teenager posted messages detailing his intentions on the Internet,... (GunPolicy.org)
Young Internet Gunmen, Inspired by Columbine, Conspire to Kill at School
24 November 2007
Age (Melbourne)
Death comes but once everywhere but in cyberspace. Within that virtual world, virtually anything goes. And when it goes, it comes back again. There is no time in this universe. Play, replay. Play, replay. Play, replay. Everyone is a master.
In the past generation, two streams have risen from the headwaters of technology, flowed downstream and merged into one: the video game and the internet. Most of the time this can be innocent fun, a bit of a dive in and a splash... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish School Shooter Qualified for His Handgun Simply by Joining a Club
16 November 2007
International Herald Tribune, Opinion
The horror that struck Finland last week was inconceivable, incomprehensible, unbearable. The massacre of children, at school, by their classmate — no one can make sense of such a calamity.
Yet as commentators were quick to point out, the scenario at Jokela High School was grimly familiar. A teenage boy, filled with existential angst and rage, buys a gun, takes it to school and opens fire, killing several people before taking his own life.
Prior to the murders, he... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish School Killer's Web Chats with Jailed Philadelphia Shooting Plotter
12 November 2007
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA — A teenager who admitted plotting a school attack near Philadelphia had communicated online about the Columbine massacre with a teenage outcast who killed eight people and himself in a high school shooting in Finland, the Pennsylvania boy's attorney said Monday.
But the teen was "horrified" when he found out about the Finnish attack and said he never would have suspected him of following through with a violent act, the attorney said.
Finnish police... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland Changes Course on EU Gun Rule: Teen Shooters to Be Supervised
12 November 2007
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
The Finnish government decided on Friday to propose a change in the law on firearms, restricting the acquisition of guns by those under the age of 18. Until now guns have been available to children 15 and above with a parent's permission.
The decision came on Friday when the government's ministerial committee on European Union affairs discussed the upcoming EU firearms directive. The aim of the directive is to restrict access to guns by those below the legal age.
It... (GunPolicy.org)
Internet Link Alleged Between Finland and Philadelphia School Shooting Plots
12 November 2007
CNN
LONDON, England — Police in Finland are examining Internet material after claims a disturbed teenager who killed eight people in a school shooting may have been in contact with a Philadelphia boy accused of planning a similar shooting spree.
Students in Finland returned to school Monday for the first time since the massacre.
Around a dozen police officers stood guard as younger students returned to class at a nearby primary school following the massacre at Tuusula... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish PM Seeks Firearm Regulation Probe After School Gun Massacre
11 November 2007
International Herald Tribune / AP
HELSINKI, Finland — Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen has called for an investigation of the country's firearms regulations following a shooting in which an 18-year old student killed eight people and himself, he said Sunday.
Vanhanen told Radio Suomi he wanted to see whether it is possible to prohibit licensed owners from bringing guns home with them from shooting clubs.
He suggested firearms could be kept instead in locked rooms at the clubs, but said changing... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish PM 'Surprised' at Killer's Easy Gun Access, Mulls Tougher Controls
11 November 2007
Reuters
HELSINKI — Gun policies will be reviewed in Finland after its deadliest school shooting where a student shot eight people, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said on Sunday.
Pekka-Eric Auvinen, who killed six fellow students, two staff members and himself on Wednesday at the Jokela high school, obtained a licence for a .22 calibre handgun through a gun club last month.
"It was an unfortunate surprise for me that one can get a licence for a handgun by visiting a... (GunPolicy.org)
American, Western Youth Gun Culture Must Be Nipped in the Bud
10 November 2007
Khaleej Times (Dubai), Editorial
The school shooting incident in the Finnish village of Jokela where an 18-year-old killed eight people, including the principal, before taking his own life is yet another reminder of the dangers of gun culture among youth and how it is becoming a mounting international concern with time.
Surprisingly for a peace loving country like Finland, it has the third highest per capita gun ownership statistics in the world. And as numerous similar incidents in American schools... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish Killer's Internet Contact With US Columbine Fans 'Highly Probable'
10 November 2007
Times (UK)
TUUSULA, Finland — The YouTube killer who shot dead eight members of his school in Finland before turning his gun on himself had internet contacts with an American teenager who was planning a shooting spree in a high school in Philadelphia, it was claimed yesterday.
The disclosure could turn upside down previous assumptions about the dynamics of school massacres. Until now, teenage killers were regarded as depressed loners whose imagination had been stoked by... (GunPolicy.org)
After School Shooting, Finland Agrees to Accept EU Minimum Gun Age Rule
9 November 2007
Reuters
HELSINKI — Finland said on Friday it would tighten gun policies after an 18-year-old killed six fellow students and two staff members with a handgun this week in the country's deadliest school shooting.
The Nordic country had resisted European Union plans to limit gun ownership to those 18 years or older across the continent. Finns as young as 15 have had the right to own and use a gun.
"Finland has changed its position to the EU firearms directive," Finland's... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland Has 'Serious Gun Problem,' Says Group: Govt Defends Weapon Law
9 November 2007
Associated Press
HELSINKI, Finland — A teenage killer's deadly school rampage has put Finns on the defensive about their relationship to guns.
With 1.6 million firearms in private hands, the Nordic nation is an anomaly in Europe, lagging behind only the U.S. and Yemen in civilian gun ownership, studies show.
The government said Friday it would raise the minimum age for buying guns from 15 to 18, but insisted there was no need for sweeping changes to gun laws shaped by deep-rooted... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland 'Has Reason to Regret' Opposing EU Age Limits for Gun Ownership
9 November 2007
Courrier International (Paris) / Göteborgs-Posten (Sweden), Editorial
An 18-year-old killed nine people and injured 12 in a massacre at the Jokela secondary school in Tuusula, Finland.
The Swedish newspaper [Göteborgs-Posten] criticises Finland's gun laws, which allow 15-year-olds to obtain a gun license. It points out that 38,000 teenagers can therefore purchase a firearm at their local arms dealer.
"It's an oversimplification to lay the blame on the internet and violent films. Sickness, a lack of empathy and the collapse of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Courrier International (Paris) / Göteborgs-Posten (Sweden)
In Wake of School Shooting, Finland Drops Objection to EU Gun Control Rule
9 November 2007
YLE News (Helsinki)
HELSINKI, Finland — Finland has stopped opposing moves for changes in the European Union
directive on firearms.
On Friday the government said that it is ready to accept the proposal by Portugal; the Grand Committee of the Finnish Parliament gave its endorsement to the move.
The full Parliament is expected to vote on the matter in the coming weeks.
The turnaround is seen to be linked with the aftermath of the Jokela school massacre.
Under the proposed new EU... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland Set to Tighten Gun Control, Harmonise Minimum Age with EU Limit
9 November 2007
CNN / AP
HELSINKI, Finland — Finland is ready to raise the minimum age for buying firearms from 15 to 18, officials said Friday, as a teenage killer's deadly school rampage brought focus on the hunting-prone nation's gun laws.
"It's obvious that this kind of tragic incident has probably sped up the decision," Interior Ministry spokesman Ilkka Salmi said.
In Finland, with world's third highest rate of gun ownership behind the United States and Yemen, 15-year-olds can buy guns... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland Moves to Tighten Gun Laws: Minors Should Have Adult Present
9 November 2007
BBC News
Finland's government is planning to tighten gun laws after nine people were killed in a school shooting spree.
Under the plan, minors would be banned from buying guns but would be allowed to use them under adult supervision.
Currently, 15-year-olds can buy guns with parental permission. Finland has the world's third highest rate of gun ownership according to a recent survey.
A student, 18, killed eight people and fatally wounded himself at his school in the town... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Clubs a Social Fixture, Right to Bear Arms Deeply Ingrained in Finland
9 November 2007
Washington Post Foreign Service
HELSINKI — Deep inside a mothballed nuclear fallout shelter in this Nordic capital city, the sound of muffled pistol fire thumps through the walls. About a half-dozen Finns — including a young blond man and a briefcase-toting businessman on his way home from work — don ear protection and line up at the cash register to buy cardboard targets. Before long, they're at the firing line, blasting away.
The right to bear arms is deeply ingrained in Finnish culture, and... (GunPolicy.org)
Calls for Tighter Gun Laws as Finns Mourn School Massacre Victims
9 November 2007
Independent (UK)
Finland is under pressure to tighten its gun laws after an 18-year-old student shot dead eight people at his school before turning his gun on himself. The massacre has shaken the nation of hunters which has never seen the need for security in its schools.
When the European Union proposed raising the legal age for possessing a firearm to 18 earlier this year, there were protests from Finland, which argued that hunting was a popular leisure activity and crime rates were... (GunPolicy.org)
Schoolboy's Shooting Spree Triggers Calls for Greater Gun Control in Finland
9 November 2007
Guardian (UK)
JOKELA — Candle flames flickered in kitchen windows across a chilly Finland last night as the country of 5 million people learned more details about the school massacre carried out by a student who felt himself cast out and bullied by his fellow pupils.
Police investigating the midday rampage that left nine dead on Wednesday said the 18-year-old gunman, Pekka-Eric Auvinen, had been bent on exacting maximum damage.
A 25-year-old mother of two was among the dead. She... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Common, Easy to Get in Finland: Schoolboy Mass Killer Joined a Club
8 November 2007
Sydney Morning Herald / Reuters / AFP
Finland's accommodating gun laws are likely to attract criticism after an 18-year-old gunman shot dead seven children and a school principal.
About 56 of every 100 Finns own a gun according to a study by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies this year, putting the rate of firearm ownership in Finland third after the United States and Yemen.
The government has said Finland's low crime rate meant there was little need for harsher gun... (GunPolicy.org)
In Wake of School Massacre, Finnish Govt Defends Permissive Gun Laws
8 November 2007
NewsRoom Finland
The Finnish interior ministry said Thursday, the day after an upper secondary school pupil shot dead eight people in his school, that the acquisition of firearms was strictly controlled in the country.
"The police grant permits only after careful consideration. The police establish, for example, whether the person is suitable to possess a firearm and whether the firearm is suitable for the purpose given by the applicant," the ministry said in a... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish School Killer Used Legally Owned Sig Sauer .22cal Semi-auto Pistol
8 November 2007
Helsingin Sanomat (Helsinki)
A deep sense of sorrow and shock descended over Finland on Wednesday after eight pupils and staff died in a shooting spree at the Jokela school in the municipality of Tuusula north of Helsinki.
The shooting is the most serious crime of violence ever committed in a Finnish school.
The gunman, identified as 18-year-old Pekka-Eric Auvinen, a student at the upper secondary school, began shooting indiscriminately before noon on Wednesday. He shot himself at the end of... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish School Shooter Was Given Licence, Pistol After 1 Hour at Gun Club
8 November 2007
YLE Radio Finland
At a press conference, police said Auvinen had acted alone. They described him as a lonely individual with extreme opinions.
Chief Inspector of the National Bureau of Investigation Rabbe von Hertzen said the perpetrator had chosen his victims at random, all of whom have now been identified. They were six of the high school's students, the school principal and school nurse. The victims had sustained injuries to the upper body and head.
Some 69 rounds were fired during... (GunPolicy.org)
Finns Mourn Victims of School Killing, US Pundit Fears Copycat Shootings
8 November 2007
Associated Press
TUUSULA, Finland — An 18-year-old gunman who killed seven other students and the principal before mortally wounding himself in a rampage was a social outcast who was "bullied in school," a senior police official said Thursday.
Investigators said the gunman, identified as Pekka-Eric Auvinen, shot himself in the head after the shooting spree Wednesday at Jokela High School in Tuusula, some 30 miles north of the capital, Helsinki.
Police were analyzing YouTube postings... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish School Killer Imported Shooting Script from Columbine, Virginia Tech
8 November 2007
Washington Post
TUUSULA, Finland — A teenager who called himself "a natural predator" shot and killed seven of his classmates and the principal inside a public high school here Wednesday, police said, one day after posting a video on YouTube in which he foreshadowed a massacre.
The midday attack, which ended with the 18-year-old gunman taking his own life, jolted this Scandinavian country of 5.3 million people. A nation of hunters and sportsmen, Finland has the third-highest rate... (GunPolicy.org)
'Revolution. Smash Everything'. Then Eight Were Killed by Finnish Gunman
8 November 2007
Guardian (UK)
Seven teenagers were killed when an 18-year-old student went on a rampage at his school in southern Finland after announcing the bloodbath with a posting on the internet site YouTube.
The murderer, named by police as Pekka-Eric Auvinen, then shot himself in the head and died in hospital last night. He killed eight people, including his headteacher, after moving from classroom to classroom and spraying them with gunfire at the secondary he attended in Tuusula, a small... (GunPolicy.org)
Student Pistol Shooter Kills Eight, Wounds 12 in Finnish School Massacre
8 November 2007
Agence France Presse
A teenager at a school in Finland shot dead eight people today, having first signalled his intentions in a video posted on YouTube.
Police identified 18-year-old Pekka-Eric Auvinen as the killer and said he was in a "critical condition" after turning the gun on himself following the massacre at Jokela High School in the small town of Tuusula.
"The gunman aimed his weapon at his head and fired," a police spokesman said.
Witnesses described chaos and panic as Auvinen... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland Shocked at Fatal School Shooting: Country Has High Gun Ownership
7 November 2007
BBC News
HELSINKI — The Finnish village of Jokela, where an 18-year-old gunman killed eight people and himself at a high school on Wednesday, was quiet as night fell, with friends and family of the dead and injured in deep shock.
Candles could be seen burning in many windows — a Finnish traditional mark of respect for the dead.
"This is a peaceful place, nothing like this has happened and nothing like this is to be expected either," Tuusula mayor Hannu Joensivu said.... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish School Student Posted Plans on YouTube Before Shooting 8 Dead
7 November 2007
Irish Times
An 18-year-old Finnish youth died in hospital last night hours after shooting dead seven of his schoolmates and his head teacher. Earlier, he had announced the bloodbath with a posting on the internet site YouTube.
The shootings, in the municipality of Tuusula, 30km north of Helsinki, have shocked Finland. Despite having the world's third highest per capita gun ownership, there is a low rate of gun crime, and school shootings were unknown until yesterday.
Students at... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish Student Joined Gun Club to Get Pistol, Shot 8, Killed Himself
7 November 2007
Bloomberg (USA)
Seven schoolchildren and their principal were killed when a student opened fire in a town near Helsinki, in the deadliest shooting in Finland's history. The gunman shot himself in the head and died later in hospital.
The 18-year-old student, identified by police as Pekka-Eric Auvinen, started shooting with a handgun during lessons yesterday at the Jokela secondary school in Tuusula, killing five boys and two girls as well as the principal, Helena Kalmi, police said at... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Pistol Club Member Kills Eight in Finnish School Shooting Spree
7 November 2007
Associated Press
TUUSULA, Finland — An 18-year-old gunman opened fire at his high school in this placid town in southern Finland on Wednesday, killing seven other students and the principal before mortally wounding himself in a rampage that stunned a nation where gun crime is rare.
Police were analyzing YouTube postings that appeared to anticipate the massacre, including clips in which a young man calls for revolution and apparently prepares for the attack by test firing a... (GunPolicy.org)
School Shooting, Easy Weapons Put Harsh Focus on Finland Gun Policy
7 November 2007
Reuters
HELSINKI — Finland's accommodating gun laws are likely to attract criticism after an 18-year-old gunman shot dead seven children and a school principal on Wednesday. The shooter turned the gun on himself and later died in hospital.
There are 56 guns for every 100 Finns, according to a study by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies this year, putting the rate of firearm ownership in Finland third after the United States and Yemen.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Licensing Criteria to Be Unified Under Finnish Law
8 July 2007
YLE News / Helsingin Sanomat
The newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reports that there are plans underway in the Ministry of the Interior to implement uniform criteria for the granting of gun licences. Practice has varied considerably from one police precinct to another.
Finnish gun enthusiasts have been found to share information about which local police are more likely to grant gun licences for various purposes. However, licences are always granted by the local police in the community where the... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland Finances West Africa's War Against Gun Running, Armed Violence
1 September 2006
People's Daily (Beijing)
Finland has provided 750,000 euros (about 900,000 U.S. dollars) to aid the Economic Community of West African States' (ECOWAS) war against the proliferation of small arms.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on Wednesday by ECOWAS Executive Secretary Mohammed Ibn Chambas and Finish envoy to Nigeria Anna-Lisa Korhonen, the grant will be spread over three years with the first tranche to be paid this year.
The MOU added that the grant "is to go into the... (GunPolicy.org)
Interior Ministry Investigation Into Exploding Sako Rifles
5 February 2005
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
The internal inspection unit of the Ministry of the Interior is to investigate whether or not the Sako hunting rifles taken off the market by the manufacturer had undergone proper inspection by officials.
Last year about 2,700 rifles manufactured at the Sako factory in Riihimäki were found to have a dangerous defect. Because of faulty raw materials, some of the guns have exploded while being fired.
The report is to be issued by mid-April. Interior Minister Kari... (GunPolicy.org)
Sako Rifle Causes More Injuries Than Maker Reported
19 January 2005
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
Defective hunting rifles manufactured by the Finnish company Sako have injured a total of three people. In each case, the gun exploded as the user was firing the weapon.
On Friday, Sako CEO Henry Paasikivi insisted that only one person, a Swede, had been injured.
Paasikivi failed to mention the case of Nicklas Törnkvist, a 31-year-old hunter from Helsinki, whom he had personally met at least twice.
Törnkvist says that his finger was fractured and his hearing was... (GunPolicy.org)
Sako Recalls Faulty Hunting Rifles
17 January 2005
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
The Finnish hunting rifle manufacturer Sako has recalled nearly 3,000 of its guns with a potential defect that could cause it to break apart when fired. In October, Mark Almeida, a 45-year-old American living in University Place, Washington, suffered injuries to his hand when his new Sako 300 Winchester Short Mag Finnlight model rifle exploded while he was shooting at a firing range.
"The target was 200 yards away when I pulled the trigger. The gun let out a powerful... (GunPolicy.org)
Living With a Gun Enthusiast from the American Heartland
27 April 2003
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
A tall, stout man about 20 years of age appears in the doorway of the study of the student dorm. He is wearing a cowboy hat, a long coat of oilcloth familiar from a cigarette advertisement, and a pair of cowboy boots. The outfit is not unusual in winter Montana — not even at the University of Montana.
In his arms the man carried a 30-inch television. He did not seem very self-confident when he walked in, but he tried to put on an air of nonchalance. I cannot recall... (GunPolicy.org)
Helsinki Amnesty Yields Firearms, Explosives
20 November 2001
Agence France Presse
HELSINKI — Police in Helsinki collected 463 firearms and more than one tonne of illegal fireworks and other explosives from the civilian population under a four-day amnesty last week, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.
During the Friday-Monday period, residents of the Finnish capital could hand in unregistered weapons without being asked any questions and with no threat of prosecution.
The firearms collected included 260 handguns, 57 shotguns, more than 100 rifles and... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish Man Shoots Grouse, Kills His Brother 2km Away
11 October 1999
Reuters
HELSINKI — A Finnish hunter killed his brother in a freak accident when a bullet from his gun pierced a grouse and hit the brother two kilometres away, Ilta-Sanomat newspaper reported on Monday.
The paper said the 23-year-old hunter aimed at a grouse sitting in a tree while the rest of his party cooked sausages over a camp fire two km away in a forest on Sunday.
The 18-year-old brother was hit in the back by the bullet on its downward trajectory.
A hunting expert... (GunPolicy.org)
Three Shot Dead in Finland Shooting Club
21 February 1999
Reuters
HELSINKI — Three people were shot dead and one was injured in a shooting club in central Helsinki on Sunday afternoon, Finnish STT news agency reported.
Police were searching for a woman who is thought to have shot the victims in the head, STT said.
Investigating police officers were not immediately available for comment, and a police spokeswoman was unable to confirm the report.
The mostly residential area was sealed off and people were not allowed into their... (GunPolicy.org)