Police disclose names linked to tragic shooting at Viertolan School in Vantaa

The police have inadvertently disclosed part of the preliminary investigation material from the tragic school shooting that occurred at Viertolan School in Vantaa. This information includes the names of both the victims and the shooter, as well as the names of those who were on a so-called “hit list.” The 12-year-old shooter had created a list with the names of 15 students.

Public access to redacted investigation material has been available to anyone who requested it from the police. However, the poorly redacted material has also ended up in the hands of Yle, a Finnish public broadcasting company, which is reporting on the matter due to its societal significance.

Seppo Kujala, the Deputy Police Chief of East Uusimaa, told Yle that the failure in redaction was noticed quickly and corrected immediately. He stated, “Such an error has occurred, it is regrettable, but we have aimed to rectify it as soon as possible. We assume this will not happen again.” Kujala was unable to estimate how many individuals may have received the flawed materials.

He emphasized that the sensitive information remains confidential, even with the oversight acknowledged. Sharing details from this redacted material may lead to legal consequences, including a breach of confidentiality.

The tragic incident involved a sixth-grade student who arrived at school on April 2 armed with a firearm and shot three classmates in a classroom. One 12-year-old boy lost his life, and two sixth-grade girls were seriously injured. Due to the shooter’s age, he is not criminally liable, but he is responsible for damages. The police’s discretion in determining what is confidential versus public is guided by transparency laws.