Shooting attack at school in Finland kills one; 12 year old boy arrested

One shooting attack inside a school on the outskirts of the Finnish capital, Hensinquekilled a child and left two others seriously injured this Tuesday, 2. Local police reported that a 12-year-old boy, also a student at the institution, was detained as a suspect in the attack.

Police cordoned off a building at the Viertola school in the suburb of Vantaa. The arrest took place without gunshots far from the school, in the Siltamaki neighborhood. The police also seized the firearm used to commit the crime – the license for the object belonged to a relative of the alleged perpetrator.

Helsinki’s regional hospital said the two survivors were being treated for “serious injuries.”

Authorities said that, for now, there are no suspects other than the 12-year-old, whose name and details police have not provided. The boy has already admitted responsibility for the attack in a preliminary interview, said the police, who are investigating him for murder and attempted murder. He should be referred to social services soon, as a minor cannot be in police custody.

Reaction from authorities

Finland’s Education Minister, Anna-Maja Henriksson, became emotional during a press release hours after the attack.

“A 12-year-old will never come home from school again,” she said through tears.

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Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said on The crime suspect has been captured.”

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said the shooting was deeply shocking.

“My thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones and other students and staff,” he said on X.

The investigation did not conclude the motive for the attack.

The Viertola school has around 800 students from first to ninth grade and a staff of 90 employees, according to the municipality.

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Attack history

School shootings in Finland have brought firearms policy into focus in the country.

In 2007, a young man shot dead six students, the school nurse, the principal, and then committed suicide using a gun at Jokela High School, near Helsinki.

A year later, in 2008, Matti Saari, another student, opened fire at a technical school in Kauhajoki, northwestern Finland. He killed nine students and a staff member before turning the gun on himself.

Finland strengthened its gun control laws in 2010, introducing a mandatory aptitude test for anyone interested in obtaining a license to purchase firearms. The minimum age for this was also changed, from 18 to 20 years old.

There are more than 1.5 million licensed firearms and around 430 thousand license holders in the country – whose total population is 5.6 million inhabitants. Finland is known for activities such as hunting and target shooting.