Probe into Vantaa school shooting to take months

Investigation into the Tuesday´s shooting incident at Viertola school in Vantaa continues, including interviews with the individuals involved and technical investigation, said police in a press release on Thursday.

Although the police have made rapid progress in the criminal investigation, considering the circumstances, but it is expected to take months for the investigation to complete.

“It is clear that there are a lot of rumours and even misinformation about the case flying around. However, it is now important to leave it with professionals to investigate and to find out the facts. In the Eastern Uusimaa Police Department, we have tens of investigators actively working to establish and secure all relevant information concerning the shooting incident at Viertola school,” said Detective Chief Inspector Marko Särkkä.

The police are actively monitoring public discussion in the case and, where possible, aim to correct inaccurate information.

“The investigation has revealed certain elements indicating that the offence was premeditated. When contents of the devices, such as a phone and laptop, seized from the suspect were analysed, there was some material found to support this view. We cannot say more about this for the purposes of the criminal investigation,” said Särkkä.

The police said on Wednesday that after leaving the Viertola school, before the apprehension, the suspect had used a weapon to threaten pupils on their way to school in Siltamäki area in Helsinki.

This incident is also being investigated. The police are requesting for eyewitness accounts of the suspect’s movements between the Viertola School and Siltamäki.

“There has been a lot of discussion on how the suspect got hold of the weapon used in the incident. The police have preliminary understanding about it, but investigation into the case investigated as a firearms offence is still underway,” Särkkä added.

Two victims of the shooting incident are still in hospital care, and it may be possible to interview one of them in the next couple of days.

Earlier on Wednesday, police said that bullying seemed to be the motive for the school shooting.

A student of a school in Vantaa was killed and two others were critically injured when another student of the school attacked them with firearm on Tuesday morning.