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Finnish school shooter who made web videos kills 11
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-09-24 06:33 "Mr. Saari" also posted at least three other clips of himself firing a handgun in the past three weeks. YLE said he also made postings on Finnish Internet chat rooms, saying he lived alone with his cat and that his interests included shooting, playing drums, heavy metal music and horror movies. On Monday, police brought in the gunman for questioning about the Internet video. They said they released him because he hadn't broken any laws and was not deemed a threat to others. Interior Minister Anne Holmlund, who heads the police department, said nothing indicated there had been negligence on the part of the police. "It's clear that we have to carefully go through what should have been done and if we could have avoided this situation in some way," Holmlund said. Laura Lodenius of the Peace Union of Finland disagreed. "Police interrogated this man on Monday but did not think they had the legal powers to withdraw his gun license. That really shows that there is something wrong," Lodenius said. Still, some said Finnish police should not be blamed. "It's unfair to expect police to be able to be clairvoyant ... and know whether or not someone making a video intends to commit harm consistent with that video," Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "People will be second-guessing," Noble said. "Knowing now that he killed these people, you look at the video -- it looks even more frightening. So now you say, 'How is it that they let him go? How is it that they didn't arrest him? How is it that they didn't put him in observation in a psychiatric ward for three days?'" He suggested that some countries need regulatory codes that would allow firearm licenses to be revoked for people who have shown signs they might pose a threat with their guns. "Then police can say, 'OK, we don't have enough to arrest you but we are certainly going to take your firearms away,'" he said. Gun control activists attacked the Finnish government, saying it should have restricted gun laws after the 2007 shooting at Jokela high school. At the time, the government promised to raise the minimum age for buying guns from 15 to 18, but that measure has not yet been passed. "If public safety had been put at the heart of Finnish gun laws after Jokela, then today's terrible events may have been prevented," said Rebecca Peters of the London-based International Action Network on Small Arms. President Tarja Halonen said at the United Nations that the shooting showed the need for the older generation to watch over the activities of the young on the Internet and to renew discussions about handgun legislation in Finland. Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb described Finland's gun laws as "very strict." "I'm sure we will now in Finland start a discussion also about the difference between what can be called hunting rifles and handguns," he said. Vanhanen called an emergency Cabinet meeting, saying he and other ministers planned to go to Kauhajoki -- a town of 14,000 -- on Wednesday. "We have experienced a tragic day," Vanhanen said, expressing condolences to the families of the victims and declaring Wednesday a day of mourning. A fellow student described the gunman as "a regular and calm guy." "Nothing outstanding. He had lots of friends. Nothing that would have given an idea that something like this would happen," Susanna Keranen told AP Television News outside the school. |
