- Finland school shooting: 12-year-old fatally shot
- Suspect, also 12, arrested; weapon confiscated by police
- Shooting prompts concern; past incidents shape gun legislation
It has been reported that a subset of the children retreated to a school situated on the periphery of the capital city of Helsinki during the assault.
A 12-year-old was fatally wounded in a gunshot that occurred at a Finnish school.
Additionally, 12 years old, the alleged assailant has been apprehended and placed under custody. The police also reported possessing the weapon.
Tuesday, just after 9:00 a.m. local time, officers were dispatched to the Viertola school in Vantaa in response to the incident.
Two additional 12-year-old students were shot and killed, according to police superintendent Ilkka Koskimaki, who informed reporters that they were transported to the hospital.
The suspect and the victims were presumably from the same class, according to MTV Uutiset, a Finnish broadcaster.
Jokiranta and Liljatie are the two locations of the institution. The location of the incident was the Jokiranta campus.
Responding emergency personnel comprised armed police officers.
Reportedly, some of the children were concealed during the assault, whereas others who had their parents contact them via mobile devices stated they witnessed the incident.
“The immediate threat has passed,” stated Sari Laasila, the principal of the school.
The mother of an 11-year-old student, Anja Hietamies, confirmed to Reuters that she received a message from her daughter following the incident.
“She stated they were in a locked, dark classroom where talking on the phone was prohibited, but messages could be sent,” she said, adding that her daughter was terrified.
The shooting, according to Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, was profoundly disturbing.
He stated on X, “My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the other students and staff.”
“The day commenced in a distressing fashion. A gunshot has occurred at the Viertola educational institution located in Vantaa. I can only fathom the anguish and concern that numerous families are presently enduring. “The alleged offender has been apprehended,” announced Mari Rantanen, the interior minister, on the social media platform.
Around 10 a.m., the suspect was apprehended in the Siltamaki suburb, which is a fifty-minute stroll from the school.
Witnesses informed MTV Uutiset that The police apprehended a young person after dropping an object that appeared to be a weapon to the ground.
Two officers were seen on social media footage kneeling by the side of the presumed assailant, who was lying face down on the pavement.
In a preliminary interview, the suspect allegedly confessed to committing the attack, according to the police; however, the motive remains unknown.
Police added that the handgun permit belonged to a relative of the suspect.
Situated on the outskirts of Helsinki, the capital of Finland, the school has approximately 800 pupils aged seven to sixteen in grades one through nine.
Residents of the area have been advised to avoid the school, which has been cordoned off by law enforcement.
“Unlock your financial potential with free Webull shares in the UK.”
As a result of previous school massacres, Finland has strengthened its gun laws.
At Jokela High School, located in the vicinity of Helsinki, Pekka-Eric Auvinen fatally shot six students, the school nurse, the principal, and himself in 2007 with a handgun.
In 2008, another pupil, Matti Saari, opened fire at a school in Kauhajoki, northwest Finland. Before self-injuring, he murdered one male staff member and nine students.
In 2010, Finland implemented an aptitude examination for all applicants for firearms licenses and raised the minimum age from 18 to 20.
The Finnish Ministry of the Interior estimates that there are approximately 430,000 license holders and over 1.5 million licensed firearms in the country.
Target shooting and hunting are popular pastimes in the 5.6 million-person Nordic nation.
