Three people were injured in an “act of violence” at a school in Finland, according to local media. Armed Finnish police rushed to the scene at 10.42am in Pirkkala, Finland. Emergency services were also on the scene.
According to police, three people have been injured, but their injuries are not thought to be life threatening. A student from the school has been arrested by police on suspicion of violent offences, with police confirming that the attacker used a sharp weapon to attack fellow pupils. Emergency services and armed police remain at the scene at vähäjärvi school in Pirkkala about two hours north of the capital Helsinki.
Vähäjärvi Comprehensive School, located in the Pirkkala municipal centre, has approximately 1,250 students from preschool to 9th grade.
According to eyewitness observations, police vehicles continue to patrol the area with approximately 10 police cars with lights on deploying to the scene at around 11 am.
The incident comes just a month after a fatal school shooting that saw a 12-year-old kill another child and injure two in the city of Vantaa, a 30 minute drive from the country’s capital.
Speaking at the time, the national police chief, Seppo Kolehmainen, said at a press conference: “Together, we thought that as a society we would have learned from previous school shootings. Such a day should not have happened.”
The Finnish prime minister, Petteri Orpo, addressed the age of the victims and the suspect, saying that it made the tragedy “especially shocking”.
He said: “I would like to show my own and the government’s sympathy to the family and loved ones of the child who passed away. In addition, two children have been seriously injured. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, students and staff of Viertola school. It is important that they receive all possible support.
“Today and in the coming days we need presence, care and comforting arms, words of comfort. And it is really important that this is talked about more widely in homes. I want to tell Finnish children and young schoolchildren that the Finnish authorities and school staff do everything every day to prevent something like this from happening.”
Alexander Stubb, the Finnish president, added: “I am shocked by the events in Vantaa. I offer my deepest condolences to the family of the deceased pupil. I wish strength for recovery to the injured. All the students and staff of the school are in my thoughts.”