FINLAND

Police arrest Finns Party MP over nightclub shooting
MP Timo Vornanen fired a shot into the ground outside a Helsinki nightclub.

The shooting took place in front of the Ihku nightclub located in the capital's Kamppi neighbourhood. Image: Jussi Lankinen / Lehtikuva
YLE NEWS
27.4. 13:40
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Updated 27.4. 15:49
Police on Saturday said they had arrested Finns Party MP Timo Vornanen over a nightclub shooting incident that occurred in the early hours of Friday in central Helsinki.

While the police did not name Vornanen in their statement, the details they provided align with the previously known details of the case.

According to the police, the suspected shooting incident began around 4am on Friday at the Ihku nightclub in downtown Helsinki.

Vornanen and another group of people got into an altercation which culminated in Vornanen, once outside the club, producing a small-caliber firearm and firing a shot into the ground.

Before firing the weapon, he had pointed the barrel of the gun at the people present.

The police have said they have surveillance footage of the incident.

perussuomalaisten kansanedustaja Timo Vornanen eduskunnassa Helsingissä.

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Finns Party MP Timo Vornanen. Image: Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva
Vornanen, a first-term MP from Joensuu, worked as a police officer for more than two decades before being elected to the legislature.

The head of the Eastern Finland Police Department, Samppa Holopainen, told Yle that he was unable to confirm whether Vornanen had returned his service weapon.

The Finns Party meanwhile took to messaging service X on Saturday to announce that its chair, Riikka Purra, was calling off her scheduled appearances for the day. No reason was provided for the cancellations.

Writing on X on Saturday, Purra said the details released by police so far were "extremely serious" and the Finns Party and parliamentary group would take "appropriate action". She told Yle that Vornanen's actions were even more serious in light of his law enforcement background.

President Alexander Stubb meanwhile weighed in on the incident at Veteran's Day celebrations in Vaasa.

"I hope that the Finnish rule of law and justice system will work, and I believe that they will," he said.

The chief investigator, Jukka Larkio, told Yle that as no one was injured in the shooting, the incident is now being investigated as an attempted aggravated assault and firearms offence.

Helsingin Sanomat has reported that police are not demanding that Vornanen be taken into custody. According to the paper, their preliminary investigation may be completed on Saturday, after which Vornanen will be released.