One child has been confirmed dead and two injured after a shooting incident at a school outside Helsinki. A minor perpetrator has been arrested, according to Finnish police.
Published: 02/04/2024 09:01 | Updated: 02/04/2024 12:15
According to the Finnish police, all those involved in the shooting should be students at the school and 12 years old.
The incident happened at Viertola primary school in Vantaa on Tuesday morning.
The shooting must have happened inside a classroom, the police say during a press conference on Tuesday morning.
– The immediate danger at the school is now over, says principal Sari Laasila to Reuters.
According to the police’s current information, there are three injured. They have been taken to hospital.
The police received a report about the incident at 8 o’clock Norwegian time, and asked passers-by to stay away from the area. Neighbors were asked to stay indoors and not open their doors to strangers.
The perpetrator arrested in Helsinki
One perpetrator has been arrested.
– The suspected perpetrator and the weapon are in the possession of the police, Finnish police write on their website.
Films and pictures in the Finnish media show that the shooter was arrested in the street and not on the school grounds.
The police state that the arrest took place in Helsinki, writes Aftonbladet.
Begins to release students
The school has around 800 pupils and 90 employees.
Pupils and staff at the school have barricaded themselves in classrooms and other rooms awaiting instructions. The principal of the school told the newspaper Ilta Sanomat.
The police have now started to let pupils out, according to the newspaper Iltalehti.
The school is divided into two parts and the shooting is said to have taken place at the part called Jokiranta.
According to MTV Uutiset, several parents and relatives have made it to the school’s premises. Some have tried to get into the premises, but have been turned away by the police.
The city’s crisis team has had a meeting. Deputy head of education and training, Katri Kalske, tells Yle.
It is still not known what may have been the motive behind the shooting.
Vantaa has around 200,000 inhabitants, is Finland’s fourth largest city and is located around 20 kilometers north of Helsinki.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo writes on X that he is deeply shocked by the incident in Vanda.
– My thoughts go out to the victims, their relatives and other students and staff at the school, he writes.
The case is updated.
The police initially stated that those involved were 13 years old. The correct thing is that they are 12 years old. The article was corrected on 2 April at 10.23.
