At least one child has died two others have been wounded in a shooting at a school in the city of Vantaa in Finland on Tuesday (April 2), Finnish police say. It was earlier said that three victims, all of whom were 12 years old, had been injured and that the suspect, who was of the same age, had been arrested.
Police have not released the identities of the children or the condition of the two surviving victims.
The incident happened at the Viertola school in Vantaa, a suburb of Helsinki. According to the local municipality, the school has around 800 students in the first to ninth grades and a staff of about 90 people.
“The immediate danger is over,” the Viertola school’s principal Sari Laasila told Reuters. She declined to comment further on the incident.
The suspect surrendered in Siltamaki, away from the school without any protest. The is also in police custody, along with the suspect. According to police, the 12-year-old is the only suspect in the shooting.
Video showing two police kneeling at the side of the suspected shooter who is lying face down on a sidewalk are making rounds of social media.
Interior Minister Mari Rantanen wrote on X, “The day started in a horrifying way… I can only imagine the pain and worry that many families are experiencing at the moment. The suspected perpetrator has been caught.”
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, shocked by the shooting, wrote on X, “My thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones and the other students and staff.”
