Perussuomalaiset MP arrested for Helsinki night club shooting

Police on Saturday arrested a lawmaker of the radical rightist Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party), the second largest component of the four-party alliance government for his alleged involvement in a shooting incident at a night club in Helsinki early Friday morning.

Although police did not mention the name of the suspect in the statement issued on Saturday afternoon, as per the description, local media confirmed that the arrested person was identified as Timo Vornanen, a lawmaker of Perussuomalaiset elected from Joensuu.

The criminal investigation unit of the Helsinki police has investigated into the incident took place at the Ihku night club at Antinkatu area in the city.

According to the preliminary investigation, Vornanen, a 54-year man engaged into an altercation with an employee of the night club and at certain stage he came outside of the night club and fired gunshot into the ground with his small-caliber firearm.

Before the firing Vornanen also pointed the barrel of the gun at the people present on the spot and the people left the scene after the firing.

Later police arrested him after watching the footage of the surveillance cameras.

The MP was taken to police custody on charge of creating threat to public life and health, but police said that he will be released after completion of the preliminary investigation.

Meanwhile, Perussuomalaiset Chairperson Riikka Purra, also the Finance Minister in a post on her social media platform X on Saturday termed the incident as very serious.

She also said that the party and its parliamentary group will take measures in this regard accordingly.