October 11: On This Day in World History … briefly
The bomb carrier was Petri Erkki Tapio Gerdt, who was killed in the explosion. He was a 19-year-old chemical engineering student at EVTEK (Espoo-Vantaa Institute of Technology) and a hobbyist bomb-maker. Gerdt had no prior criminal record.
2002: Bomb attack in a shopping mall in Finland kills seven
The Myyrmanni bombing took place on October 11, 2002, in Myyrmäki, Vantaa, Finland, in Greater Helsinki, at the Myyrmanni shopping mall. A bomb carried by Petri Erkki-Tapio Gerdt exploded at 19.36 killing five immediately, including Gerdt. In total seven died, including two teenagers and a 7-year-old. 166 people were injured, including 10 children. 66 victims required hospitalization with the remainder treated and released at the scene. The shopping center was especially crowded, with 1,000–2,000 people, including many children who had come to see a clown performance.
The incident was investigated primarily as six accounts of murder and closed in January 2003 without any indictments as Gerdt was the sole suspect. His motive was not determined.
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
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