Grandfather of Viertola school shooter admits firearms offence for giving gun and ammunition to boy

The grandfather of the 12-year-old boy who shot classmates at Viertola School in Vantaa has admitted to a firearms offence after providing the child with a revolver and ammunition, public broadcaster Yle reports.

Prosecutors are seeking a suspended prison sentence of four to six months for the 69-year-old man, who is accused of handing over the weapon and bullets to his underage grandson on 30 March 2024 in Myrskylä. The boy, who had no legal permit to possess a firearm, later used the gun in a school shooting on 2 April that left one child dead and two others injured.

According to the charges, the grandfather gave the Herters Waseca revolver and ammunition to the boy to take upstairs to a gun safe at his home. However, the grandfather did not supervise whether the weapon was actually secured, nor did he verify its storage afterward. The boy instead concealed the gun and bullets in his trouser pockets and took them to his own home.

The weapon had been taken out for target practice during an Easter visit to the grandfather’s house. The grandfather only checked his gun safe after learning of the school shooting through news reports. The firearm was later confiscated from the boy during the investigation.

The boy himself, then 12 years old, was suspected of murder and two counts of attempted murder, but due to his age, the case was not referred to prosecutors for formal charges.

The East Uusimaa District Court is expected to deliver its verdict next week.

Tags: school shooting, firearms, finland