Multiple Hurt in Finland School Shooting, Suspect Caught

Three students have been shot and wounded in a shooting at a school in Finland, police say.

All those involved were aged 12, police said – including the suspected attacker, who has been detained and taken into custody.

Officers were called to the incident at Viertola school in Vantaa just after 7am UK time.

The victims were taken to hospital, a police spokesperson told Reuters news agency.

The school has two sites, Liljatie and Jokiranta. The shooting took place at the Jokiranta campus.

Finnish broadcaster MTV Uutiset reported emergency services – including armed police officers – were at the scene.

Some of the children reportedly hid during the attack, while others who had been contacted by their parents on mobile phones said they saw what happened.

“The day started in a horrifying way. There has been a shooting incident at the Viertola school in Vantaa. I can only imagine the pain and worry that many families are experiencing at the moment. The suspected perpetrator has been caught,” interior minister Mari Rantanen posted on the social media platform X.

A witness told MTV Uutiset the suspect was arrested just before 10am in an area of Helsinki called Siltakylantie – a 50-minute walk from the school.

They said police stopped a young person who dropped an object that looked like a weapon on the ground and knelt down.

The school, situated in the outskirts of the Finnish capital Helsinki, has around 800 students from first to ninth grade – aged seven to 16.

Local residents have been asked to stay away from the school which has been cordoned off by police.

Source: SkyNews