Firearm Involved in Menacing Incident
A man threatened members of a Finnish church youth camp in south central Estonia with a gun before fleeing, a local newspaper reported today.
According to Sakala, the individual, who was described by witnesses as behaving erratically and aggressively, accosted a group leader of the camp on the main street of the village of Pilistvere around 21:00 on Thursday evening.
A boy in the group came to the defense of the female group leader, at which point the man grabbed the boy and pointed the firearm at his temple.
A second man showed up, wrested the individual away from the youths, but as the camp participants ran for safety, the aggressor reportedly fired the weapon in the air.
The police rounded up three suspects from a nearby grill pavilion - brothers - and the Finns picked out the attacker. At that point, a scuffle broke out between the police and the suspects, and in the confusion, the first suspect fled.
Threats in public involving firearms are uncommon in Estonia.
A criminal case was opened, said Public Prosecutor Office spokesperson Carol Merzin.
Six of the 28 camp attendees, who were preparing for confirmation, decided to cut their trip short.
Kristopher Rikken
