Helsinki [Finland], April 2: A 12-year-old suspect has been arrested for shooting at three 12-year-olds in which one child died and two other children were injured at a school in Finland’s capital Helsinki on Tuesday.
The suspect, however, fled on foot but was caught by police later in a northern Helsinki suburb.
Police officers were called to Viertola school in the city of Vantaa at around 9 am local time.
Police have not yet “provided details about the nature or severity of the injuries,” nor what type of firearm was used.
Moreover, children were kept inside their classrooms after the shooting and authorities urged people to avoid the school and remain indoors, according to CNN.
Viertola Primary School lies about 18 kilometres (11 miles) north of Helsinki. It has around 800 students between 1st and 9th grade and around 90 staff members.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo reacted to the shooting and said that the shooting was “deeply shocking.”
“My thoughts are with the victims, their families and the other students and staff of the Viertola school,” Finnish PM Orpo posted on X.
Reportedly, Finland has a strong tradition of hunting and its gun ownership rates are among the highest in the world, however, school shootings are rare, as reported by CNN.
In 2007, Pekka-Eric Auvinen, an 18-year-old schoolboy, opened fire in his high school in the southern Finnish town of Tuusula, killing eight people and wounding 10 others before turning the gun on himself.
He also left a suicide note saying goodbye to his family.
In another incident in 2008, just months after the Tuusula shooting, Matti Juhani Saari, 22, opened fire at another school in the country, killing 10 before also shooting himself.
Following these shootings, the Finnish government issued new guidelines on the use of firearms, particularly handguns and revolvers.
