Mika Muranen

Lore & Background

Mika Kalevi Muranen was a military conscript stationed in Hamina. In April 1994, after returning from a holiday, he stole an Rk 62 assault rifle from his barracks and fled to his hometown Kotka. The next day, still in uniform, he used a crossbow taken from his home to fatally shoot two neighbors, Reino and Sirkka Vulkko. The following day, he shot a postman, Matti Olli, with the assault rifle and fired randomly at nearby houses before escaping into the forest with his dog. Police shot the dog with a submachine gun during the chase; Muranen returned fire. He was captured after a day-long pursuit, slightly wounded. At trial, he was found competent and sentenced to life for three murders, eight attempted murders, and three attempted manslaughters. He was imprisoned in Mikkeli.

Reader's Guide

Muranen's case is notable for the use of a crossbow in a spree killing, a rare weapon in modern Finnish crime. His parole process was lengthy: after ten years he was transferred to an open jail in Laukaa in 2004, where he gave his first interview in 2006. He applied for parole in 2006, 2007, 2010, and 2011, and was finally granted parole by the Helsinki court of appeal in September 2013, leading to his release in September 2014. The case is often compared to that of Mattias Flink, another military-related mass shooter. Muranen's expressed regret was not for the killings but that his military service would be terminated.

Did You Know?

• Muranen used a crossbow to kill two neighbors before switching to an assault rifle.
• He was a military conscript who stole the rifle from his barracks.
• He was released on parole in September 2014 after serving about 20 years.