Myyrmanni bombing

On October 11, 2002, Vantaa, a northern suburb of Helsinki, was shocked by a bombing in the local Myyrmanni Shopping Mall. The bomb killed 7, including a 7-year-old child and the bomber, Petri Gerdt, a 19-year-old chemistry student from Espoo-Vantaa Institute of Technology. 80 people were injured, including 10 children. The shopping center was particularly crowded, with almost 2000 people, including many children who had come for a clown performance.

The bomb was about 2-3 kilograms, with shotgun pellets in the explosive to increase lethality. However, the primary structures of the center remained intact. The reason of a bombing was unknown, it was expected that the bomb exploded too early.

• Explosion at Myyrmanni (http://radio.weblogs.com/0112083/stories/2002/10/12/explosionAtMyyrmanni), Juha Haataja's eyewitness account