A 12-year-old student was killed in a school shooting in Finland on Tuesday morning, two of his classmates were seriously injured, and another classmate was taken into custody as the suspected shooter.
Tragedy occurred on Tuesday morning at Jokilanta School in the Helsinki suburb of Vantaa. A sixth-grade male student reportedly carried out the shooting using a legally owned gun obtained from one of his relatives. The suspect still had a gun in his possession at the time of his arrest.
according to According to Finnish broadcaster YLE, one 12-year-old student was killed and two others were seriously injured. Their condition is not fully known due to hospital privacy restrictions due to age.
Police said the suspected shooter was also 12 years old and in the same grade as the victims. Police said the suspects and victims were all Finnish nationals. A motive for the shooting has not been revealed at this time.
TOP SHOT – Finnish police are investigating the scene where a child opened fire and injured three other children at the Viertla Comprehensive Elementary School in Vantaa, a suburb of Finland’s capital Helsinki, on April 2, 2024. Police said the attacker is in custody and that “all those involved in the shooting are minors.” (Photo credit: Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva / AFP) / Finland OUT (Photo credit: MARKKU ULANDER/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images)
The attack on the boy met the requirements of brutality and premeditation, and the child is being investigated on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. “If you go to school with a gun, you might realize there’s a plan,” local police chief Kimmo Hyvanen said.
However, investigator Marco Salca said police could not arrest the child based on his age and that police would have to hand him over to social services after questioning.
The suspected gunman was not previously known to police and had not expressed any intent to carry out any attack before Tuesday’s attack.
On April 2, 2024, the family of a student at the elementary school Viertla Comprehensive School waits to enter the school after a child opened fire, injuring three other children, in Vantaa, a suburb of Finland’s capital Helsinki. Police said the attacker is in custody and that “all those involved in the shooting are minors.” (Photo credit: Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva / AFP) / Finland OUT (Photo credit: MARKKU ULANDER/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images)
At a press conference after the shooting incident, Prime Minister Petteri Orupo said: Said: “This is particularly shocking given the ages of the victims and the alleged perpetrators. On behalf of myself and the government, I would like to express my condolences to the families and loved ones of the children who died.
“In addition, two children were seriously injured. Our thoughts are with the victims, their teachers, students and the staff of Vieltra School. It is important that they receive all possible support.
“Today and in the coming days we need a presence, a caring and comforting arm, a comforting word. And it is very important that we talk about this more widely in our homes. I am a Finnish child. I want to say to young schoolchildren that the Finnish authorities and school staff are doing their best every day to prevent this from happening.”
