Kirkkonummi fireworks fire: three young men arrested for attempted murder
Three young men aged 18–21 were remanded in custody at Länsi-Uusimaa District Court on suspicion of attempted murder and aggravated arson. A firework was thrown into the bedroom of a family with children in Kirkkonummi at the end of August.
Firework thrown into family home window in Kirkkonummi
The family with children woke during the night between Sunday and Monday, 23 August, at around 3 a.m. to a hissing and popping sound coming from the bedroom. The family reported a fire in the flat to the emergency centre and left the building. The flat contained seven residents and three cats when the fire started – all were able to leave without physical injuries, including the cats.
According to Iltalehti's information, the fire started in the family flat in Kirkkonummi. According to preliminary assessment, the fire originated from a firework pushed through a ventilation window. Detective Inspector Jutta Saarinen states in a police statement: "A burnt firework remnant was found in the flat."
The rescue service was able to extinguish the fire quickly, and it did not spread beyond the bedroom. Other rooms suffered smoke and soot damage. According to the incident report, the cause of the fire has been recorded as "firework, pyrotechnic products" and the cause of the fire as "human activity".
Police are investigating the case as attempted murder and aggravated property damage. Länsi-Uusimaa District Court remanded three young men in custody – aged 18, 19, and 21 – on probable cause suspected of attempted murder and aggravated property damage. In addition to them, one person has been detained and another taken into custody in connection with the case. In total, police suspect at least five people of the offence.
In the police's view, the suspects or at least some of them knew the person living in the flat beforehand. Police do not comment on possible motive, as the sequence of events and clarification of the background are still ongoing.
Iltalehti visited the scene on Thursday after police reported the criminal suspicion. There were no longer any signs of the weekend events in the area. Most local residents interviewed by Iltalehti knew of the fire that had started in the flat; some refused to comment on the matter. Neighbours described the area as calm and the neighbourhood as friendly – the serious criminal suspicion has shocked the tight-knit community. On Thursday, police distributed notes in letterboxes asking residents to report any suspicious activity they may have observed.
Source: Iltalehti