Police respond to false rumor of armed individual at Gradia in Jyväskylä

A significant police operation in Jyväskylä on Thursday was triggered by a false rumor that spread on social media. According to the police, incorrect information circulated on Snapchat, suggesting that an armed individual was present on the Viitaniemi campus of Gradia. The police clarified that the information did not originate from Snapchat; rather, the source was identified later.

A call to the emergency center was made by an adult staff member who had heard about the armed person from a student. The police responded with multiple patrols, but ultimately found no evidence of any armed individual, and the authorities do not suspect any criminal behavior in this incident.

When alerted to a potential threat, police must act swiftly. If a report of an armed person is received, they proceed with the assumption that it is genuine. While some may view their response as excessive, the presence of thousands of students at the institution necessitates stringent measures for ensuring their safety.

Emergency services were also on high alert, with three medical helicopters dispatched to the scene. False allegations have become increasingly common on social media. Police Inspector Marko Savolainen noted that most school-related threats reported to police are frivolous, with only 70-100 serious threats occurring annually, four to six percent of which warrant immediate mental health intervention.

Jari Lindholm, a police commissioner, commented that misinformation often escalates after tragic events, and in this case, social media also propagated false details about victims and the police response. The authorities are investigating how the Snapchat message that instigated the police operation circulated, but assert that no one involved has committed a crime.

Crisis support has been made available to students at Gradia, as well as through social services in Central Finland.