A primary school pupil came to school armed in Finland this morning, Tuesday, April 2, 2024, and opened fire on pupils, injuring three of them.
The incident took place at Viertolan Koulu school in Vantaa, which has around 800 students, Finnish officials said in a statement.
Police were called to the primary school around 9 am local time and the minor with the gun has been taken into custody, according to reports.
Locals have been told to keep away from the area as the police continue with their investigation.
Police later said that three minors were injured in the attack and that the suspect was also a child. Their identity has not been released.
‘All those involved in the shooting incident are minors. According to the police’s current information, there are three injured,’ a police statement said.
The police said in an earlier statement: ‘Police are at the scene investigating the incident. Bystanders are asked to stay away from the area and indoors.
‘The door should not be opened to strangers,’
‘The immediate danger is over,’ the Viertola school’s principal Sari Laasila later told Reuters, declining to comment further on the incident.
Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported that the school is situated across two ‘teaching points’ – Liljatie Teaching Point and Jokiranta Teaching Point.
Citing eyewitness reports, the publication reported that the shooting was likely carried out at the Jokiranta teaching point after cars and ambulances were spotted there on Tuesday morning.
The eyewitness told Helsingin Sanomat that two ambulances and police cars left the school at around 10 am local time (7 am GMT).
He said there had been several police cars at the scene.
Vantaa is found around ten miles north of Finland’s capital of Helsinki and is home to around 250,000 people.
