Posted on 11/07/2007 6:41:33 AM PST by arbooz
TUUSULA, Finland (Reuters) - At least seven people died when a gunman opened fire at a school in southern Finland on Wednesday, hours after a video was posted on YouTube predicting a school massacre.
A teacher at Jokela High School told Reuters the gunman was one of its pupils.
"At this moment its seven (deaths) or more, higher," Dr Eero Hirvensalo, the head of the medical response team, told Reuters.
The YouTube video, set to hard-driving music, shows a still photo of a school that appears to be Jokela High School. The photo then fragments to reveal a red-tinted picture of a man pointing a gun at the camera.
Three people were wounded in the shooting, according to early reports. One of those shot was the school principal, said Tuula Panula, spokeswoman for the Tuusula municipality, some 60 km (40 miles) from the Finnish capital Helsinki.
"He (the gunman) was moving systematically through the school hallways, knocking on the doors and shooting through the doors," Kim Kiuru, a teacher at the school, said at the scene.
"It felt unreal, a pupil I have taught myself was running towards me, screaming, a pistol in his hand."
The YouTube video is entitled "Jokela High School Massacre - 11/7/2007" and was posted by a user called Sturmgeist89. "Sturmgeist" means storm spirit in German.
Police surrounded the school and a city official announced shortly before 9:00 a.m. EST that the siege was over.
Junior Constable Olli Laine said earlier police had evacuated students from the building, which houses both a middle and a high school.
Kiuru, who was teaching a grade 8 class when the shooting started, said he helped his pupils escape the building through the classroom windows.
Despite having the third-largest per capita ratio of handgun ownership in the world, violent incidents are rare at Finnish schools.
According to Finnish media, there have been four stabbings at schools since 1999. None of these caused fatalities.
The last major attack in the country came in 2002 when a young man killed including himself and six others in a bomb blast at a shopping mall in Helsinki.
"Despite"? Maybe "Because of."
Is the gunman one of the casualties?
Finland, Finland, Finland,
The country where I want to be,
Pony trekking or camping,
Or just watching TV.
Finland, Finland, Finland.
It’s the country for me.
You’re so near to Russia,
So far from Japan,
Quite a long way from Cairo,
Lots of miles from Vietnam.
Finland, Finland, Finland,
The country where I want to be,
Eating breakfast or dinner,
Or snack lunch in the hall.
Finland, Finland, Finland.
Finland has it all.
I tavel to Finland a lot, love the country and its people. This type of thing does not happen there. My prayers for the families.
Not clear yet.
Tragic!
But I couldn’t help noticing:”Tuula Panula, spokeswoman for the Tuusula”
Odd!
Bingo.
Finland?...............
I’ve been to Helsinki - liked the reserve and politeness of the locals.
Sad story. Expect the media to blame America.
The facts are that mass shootings occur when crazy people take guns into areas where no one can defend themselves. It’s happened in the UK (Dunblaine), France (Nanterre) and Switzerland (and plenty of other places, too). The worst mass murder at a school in the US wasn’t even done with guns - it was explosives and occurred in Bath, Michigan in 1927 (45 dead).
Seems strange, but the country has one of the highest suicide rates.
Do they ban guns in schools there as well?
Even though the killer’s name is Osama Mohammed bin Hussein ala Akbar el Stupido, and he beheaded each victim after shooting them, and he burned a bible on top of each body, the police have determined that this was not an act of terrorism. Thank heaven! I was worried there for a moment!
What about their “muslim immigrant” population?...........
It's minimal compared to other European countries - the traditions, the language and the climate are not easy for outsiders.
“Despite having the third-largest per capita ratio of handgun ownership in the world, violent incidents are rare at Finnish schools.”
A statement which would NEVER be used at all when the incident is in the US. Instead, we get blatherings about how noone has more guns than the US and thus, of course it’s violent.
“According to Finnish media, there have been four stabbings at schools since 1999.”
Were the perp’s called “knifemen”?
“The last major attack in the country came in 2002 when a young man killed including himself and six others in a bomb blast at a shopping mall in Helsinki.”
Was he called a “bombman”?
We should have parallel terminology here.
Reuters is competing with AP - who can embed most bias in reporting news.
Its because of the dark winters and all the reindeer humming.
I was looking for the part where they blame America for it.
..wait it will show up in the Rats debates soon to shield her thighness...anything for cover...anything to get cankles out from under the obvious
The muzzies don't care about the traditions, the language or the climate. They bring their own...........
Here are the shooters videos on Youtube... You can’t see the videos, but you can still see the titles and the splash of each one....
this guy was evil... no question about it...
Didn't The Archies sing a song about her?
The big question, which psychoactive drug prescription was the gunman on?
Ritalin or prozac?
Holy crap! Lots of videos praising the Columbine killers and McVey.... see, you really can spot these nuts a mile away.
One of his videos was titled:
SSRI - One Pill A Day Makes You Happy...
“Despite having the third-largest per capita ratio of handgun ownership in the world, violent incidents are rare at Finnish schools.”
This shows you how liberals think. They are absolutely convinced that handguns cause shootings.
Liberals won’t admit that their non-judgemental policies allow people to commit crime without caring about consequences.
“The YouTube video is entitled “Jokela High School Massacre - 11/7/2007” and was posted by a user called Sturmgeist89. “Sturmgeist” means storm spirit in German.”
I”m gonna tell you one thing kid...Black Metal.
Yollo
True, except for the climate. They haven't figured out yet how to deal with the brutal cold nine months a year - maybe that's the secret to keep 'em out...
They have plenty of alternatives in Europe though.
There are lots of muslims from very cold places, Chechnya, Afghanistan, ANYplace-istan, Turkey, etc. ........
Yep, Death Metal is huge in Scandinavia, and especially in Finland.
There are a couple of players from Finland on the Dallas Stars hockey team, and the one thing they all had in common is that they were huge into Death Metal. Must be something to do with living in such a cold climate with long, dark winters.
This shooter appears to be anti- all religions... Pretty dark and fatalistic...
True, but those places aren't nearly as cold, and the muzzies are the natives there. The ones who immigrate have a lot of other more hospitable places to go to. Nonetheless, like a plague, ultimately they spread beyond all barriers.
Probably a Goth................
The European “open door” policy, “come one, come all” mentality, is wearing thin in the average citizen’s mind, I’d bet...................
ping
Has Rudy Guiliani filed a lawsuit against the gun manufacturers?
Just askin....
I guess he will as soon as they determine the gun’s make.
I posted it half in jest, but if you read National Review this week, you read about Guiliani’s litigating of anything he doesn’t personally approve of.
From guns to welfare reform, to fiscal cuts, he’s filed more lawsuits than any mayor of a major city in history from what I can tell.
Frivilously, in many instances. Thats why I will not vote for this man under any circumstances anyone can raise.
And yes, including Hillary Clinton becoming President.
England has the worst case of infestation and others are playing fast catch up. So far only Switzerland is attempting to mount somewhat of a resistance to the invading hordes, but the rest of the Europeans are being slowly cooked.
The Europeans will wake up one morning to a New World Order that they will not like and be totally powerless to do anything about it. Their own policies will do to them what the Ottoman Empire could not............
They are well on their way there. Wish America takes notice.
We (FReepers) are voices crying in the wilderness and prophets without honor................
Did you notice the HIGH ratings this crap gets?
Amazing!
Lots of EVIL people out there ... .
Europe-list
If people want on or off this list, please let me know.
Shooter used a Sig Mosquito .22LR pistol...
wiki has laws and regulations as far as Finland’s firearms laws are concerned.. I know it’s a wiki but it looks pretty complete...
Prayers for the victims and their families.
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