Court acquits man in 2019 Kangasala shooting death, citing possible self-inflicted gunshot

A Finnish district court has dismissed a murder charge against a 44-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a 27-year-old in Kangasala in 2019, ruling that the victim may have fired the lethal shot himself.

The Pirkanmaa District Court delivered its verdict on Tuesday, rejecting the prosecution’s demand for a nine-year prison sentence. According to the court, reasonable doubt remains over the defendant’s guilt, as evidence could not definitively exclude the possibility that the victim shot himself.

The case stems from an incident on June 12, 2019, when the 27-year-old man was found with a gunshot wound to the head outside a cabin in Kangasala’s Sahalahti area. He later died in hospital. The defendant, a friend of the victim, had been charged with murder.

In its reasoning, the court addressed gunshot residue found on the defendant’s hands, accepting his explanation that he had handled the firearm after the shooting—first to check for remaining bullets, then to identify its caliber during an emergency call. The court also noted inconsistencies in the defendant’s statements over time, attributing them to potential memory gaps caused by intoxication, fatigue, and shock.

The ruling is not yet legally binding and may be appealed to the Court of Appeal.