A 12-year-old child has died and two others have been seriously wounded in a school shooting in Finland, leaving the country reeling. The suspect, a fellow pupil, ran off after the shooting but was later apprehended, police said. He was holding a licensed handgun owned by a close relative and admitted carrying out the shooting in an initial interview, they added.
The shooting took place on Tuesday morning at the Viertola school in Vantaa, a city north of the capital, Helsinki. The school has about 800 pupils from first to ninth grade and a staff of 90 people, according to the local municipality. Police said the suspect and the victims were 12 years old and Finnish.
The Finnish prime minister, Petteri Orpo, said the age of the victims and the suspect made the tragedy 'especially shocking'. He added: 'I would like to show my own and the government's sympathy to the family and loved ones of the child who passed away.' The Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, also offered condolences, saying: 'I am shocked by the events in Vantaa.'
Previous school shootings in Finland have put a strong focus on the country's gun policy. Finland tightened its gun legislation in 2010, introducing an aptitude test for all firearms licence applicants and raising the age limit to 20. However, in February, the country announced plans to open more than 300 new shooting ranges to encourage more citizens to take up the hobby.
