In a tragic incident, a 12-year-old student opened fire at a lower secondary school in southern Finland on Tuesday, injuring three other 12-year-old students, according to police.
The suspect was apprehended by the authorities, and the heavily armed police cordoned off the school in Vantaa, a city just outside Helsinki, after receiving a distressing call about the shooting at 9:08 a.m.
Police confirmed that the suspect was taken into custody in the Helsinki area later that day.
"The immediate danger has passed," said Sari Laasila, the principal of Viertola school, in a statement to Reuters.
"The day began in a horrifying manner. There was a shooting incident at Viertola school in Vantaa. I can only imagine the pain and worry that many families are going through right now. The suspected perpetrator has been apprehended," Interior Minister Mari Rantanen stated on X.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo expressed his deep shock at the shooting on X.
At this point, the motive behind the shooting remains unclear. According to the local municipality, the school caters to students from first through ninth grade.
