Police in the southeastern city of Kouvola say that a group of Roma men who forced their way into a private home tried to pressure the Roma couple living there to leave the area.
“It seems to be that the couple moved to the area without the permission of other local Roma. They decided that the couple must leave”, says officer Juha Paukkunen.
Three men aged 17 to 53 entered the home. One of the men carried a handgun. Three other people were in the apartment as guests at the time of the incident.
Paukkunen says that the intruders tried to intimidate the couple in order to get them to move away from the community.
Police suspect that the three intruders threatened and manhandled people in the apartment and caused damage. A few shots were fired.
Nobody was hurt in the shootings, and none of the injuries were so serious as to warrant medical treatment.
“The situation is nevertheless dangerous when there is shooting in such a small apartment”, Paukkunen says.
Police have detained four people, one of whom was released after questioning. The person who was released did not take part in the events in the apartment, and had just waited outside in a car.
Officer Paukkunen said that he would call for remanding two of the suspects in custody. Police suspect the intruders of crimes including attempted manslaughter, aggravated disturbance of domestic peace, assault, making an illegal threat, and a firearms violation.
Paukkunen believes that the couple will move away from Kouvola.
