Putting the Finland shooting into context

Yesterday’s shooting in Finland suspected to be by a 12 year old, now in custody, left one child dead and two others injured. This is the fourth notable shooting in the country committed by a student since 1989, and highlights a continued threat, despite efforts to aid gun control, which is echoed across the region.

Between 01 January 2023 and 03 April 2024, there have been a recorded 85 gun-related incidents across Finland. This includes instances of planned attacks using 3D weapons.

However, in comparison, neighbouring Sweden continues to be the most impacted by gun-crime across Scandinavia, with 857 being recorded in the same period. This follows a steep increase of males between 15 and 29 becoming involved in gun violence between 1995 and 2015 - especially when compared to other countries in Western Europe.

As such, it is expected the threat of gun violence will continue across the region, coupled with online radicalisation and the emergence of new potential security threats, such as 3D printed firearms it will likely become easier to attain weapons and harder for security forces to prevent attacks.