Didn't get to sit down with the girls - then he opened fire

The true Finns (Sannfinländarna)

Couldn't sit next to the girls - then the gun politician opened fire

Emil Forsberg

Published 00.31

 
The karaoke bar Ihku in Helsinki where the shooting drama took place during the night of Friday. Photo: Instagram/@barihkuhelsinki

Timo Vornanen was denied a seat next to the girls at the karaoke bar, according to witnesses.

After a wrestling match, he took out his gun and fired a shot into the ground.

- He said that you shouldn't ask about his profession, one of the girls told Helsingin Sanomat.

True Finn and Member of Parliament Timo Vornanen is on sick leave after the shooting outside the karaoke bar in central Helsinki.

At the same time, the party leader Riikka Purra has announced that she has no confidence in him anymore.

The Helsinki police are tight-lipped about what caused the derailment. But now three eyewitnesses are telling Helsingin Sanomat.

According to the newspaper, a chatty Vornanen spent the evening with two women, 18 and 19 years old respectively.

He offered drinks and "acted very flattering" before he became drunk and silent, one of the women said.

"Started fighting to sit next to us"

Towards four o'clock in the morning, Vornanen returned to the women, but was stopped by another man when he tried to sit down. Then it derailed.

- The men started fighting to sit next to us. They both screamed at each other, "hell, don't come here".

When the staff threatened to throw the men out, the fight broke up and they sat down at a table and discussed.

Timo Vornanen was elected to the Finnish Riksdag for the True Finns 2023 party. Photo: Eduskunta/Finnish Riksdagen

Suspected of three crimes

The fight then continued outside the premises where Vornanen, who also works as a police officer, according to information in the Finnish media, picked up a gun and fired a shot into the ground.

- The suspect has said that he felt threatened at the time of the shooting. And for that reason he used the weapon, says the preliminary investigation leader Jukka Larkio to Hufvudstadsbladet.

It wasn't until the following day that the women realized that the man they were spending time with was a member of parliament for the True Finns.(Sannfinländarna)

- He said that they should not ask about his profession in order to judge him, says one woman.

The police have now started an investigation against Vornanen regarding causing danger, unlawful threats and firearm offences.