Pekka-Eric Auvinen was born on June 4, 1989, in Tuusula, Uusimaa, Finland. His father, a musician, named him after guitarists Pekka Järvinen and Eric Clapton. Auvinen attended Jokela High School, where he was known as a shy student who often isolated himself and blushed easily when embarrassed. He was considered moderately successful academically and had plans to graduate in the spring of 2008. Some reports indicate that he had been the target of long-term bullying. 

Between December 2006 and January 2007, his parents sought psychiatric help for his depression and anxiety, but he was not admitted to a clinic due to the perceived mildness of his symptoms; instead, antidepressant treatment was recommended. Auvinen had irregularly taken SSRIs a year prior to his death. He was interested in history, philosophy, and various political ideologies, including both far-right and far-left movements. He also engaged with online communities that glorified school shootings and mass violence. ​

On November 7, 2007, at approximately 11:42 AM local time, Auvinen entered Jokela High School armed with a .22-caliber SIG Sauer Mosquito semi-automatic pistol. He began his attack by shooting a fellow student in the corridor, then moved to the lavatories, where he killed two more students. He continued his rampage, fatally shooting the school nurse and another student. At 11:47 AM, the head teacher, Helena Kalmi, was alerted to the shooting and ordered a lockdown. Despite her efforts to protect the students, she was shot multiple times by Auvinen at 11:57 AM and later died from her injuries. Auvinen attempted to set parts of the school on fire using flammable liquids but was unsuccessful. He then entered a classroom, fired shots at a television and a window, and proclaimed a revolution before leaving without harming anyone inside. 

At 12:04 PM, Auvinen shot himself in the head in a school lavatory. He was found alive by police at 1:54 PM and transported to Helsinki University Central Hospital, where he died at 10:15 PM. In total, eight people were killed, and twelve others were injured, including one person who was shot in the toe and others who sustained injuries while escaping.

Prior to the attack, Auvinen had uploaded a video to YouTube titled "Jokela High School Massacre – 11/7/2007," along with a manifesto expressing his misanthropic and social Darwinist beliefs. He described himself as a "natural selector" and stated his intention to eliminate those he deemed unfit. His online activity included posts about previous school shootings and violent incidents, as well as content attacking religion. ​