Finnish School Shooter Dies; Toll Now 9

YouTube videos show Saari firing at range

(NEWSER) - Finnish police yesterday arrested—and subsequently released—the 20-year-old they say killed 11 people, including himself, during a school shooting spree this morning, reports the Daily Telegraph. Authorities acted after finding a YouTube video of Matti Juhani Saari firing a handgun at a shooting range, and this posted message: "Whole life is war and whole life is pain. And you will fight alone in your personal war." More»

18-year-old kills eight at high school; clips warned of spree

(NEWSER) - At least eight people are dead at a high school in Finland where an 18-year-old opened fire today, CNN reports, and the killer seems to have left warnings of the spree on YouTube. Suspected gunman Pekka-Eric Auvinen, in critical condition at a hospital north of Helsinki, posted a video earlier today titled "Jokela High School Massacre - 11/7/2007." More»

'He really went out with the intention of killing,' official says

(NEWSER) - Eight of the 10 victims in yesterday's shooting at a Finnish catering and tourism college were women, but it may take investigators weeks to identify the bodies—which Matti Saari charred with gasoline bombs after shooting, the Times of London reports. A college official described Saari as a “silent young man,” and investigators told the AP that the trainee chef probably knew his victims. More»

(NEWSER) - Responding to a grieving Finland, the country's prime minister called for stricter gun laws in the wake of yesterday's school shooting. Matti Vanhanen questioned the legality of private handgun ownership, calling guns more fit for shooting ranges. It may be a difficult case to make in a country with 1.6 million private firearms and where 15-year-olds can own guns, reports the BBC. More»

Gunman shot himself after opening fire at vocational college

(NEWSER) - A shooting spree at a vocational college in Finland has left nine people dead and several others wounded, reports the BBC. The gunman, who is believed to be a 20-year-old student, entered the college wearing a ski mask and carrying an automatic weapon. Police say he finally turned the gun on himself, although his condition remains unclear. More»