School shooting suspect aged 12
1 CHILD KILLED AND TWO LEFT INJURED
ONE child died and two others were seriously injured in a school gun rampage in Finland yesterday.
A boy shooter aged 12 was wrestled to the ground in the street by two cops, a weapon lying beside him.
A “terrible scream” was heard as shots rang out at Viertola secondary school in Vantaa, 12 miles north of the capital Helsinki.
One victim died instantly while the other two were rushed to hospital seriously wounded.
They were all said to be his classmates but no further details were released as relatives were informed.
Armed cops surrounded the school as terrified children texted their parents.
Many arrived at the scene within minutes, queuing up outside as police searched the site.
Anja Hietamies, the mother of an
11-year-old pupil, received a message from her daughter after the shooting.
“They were in a dark, locked classroom, not allowed to speak on the phone but they could send messages” she said. All three victims were aged 12. The child suspect was detained nearby 40 minutes after the shooting, which erupted at 9.17 am (6:17 GMT).
Shock
Parents said the 6th Grade children were shot in a classroom. Police arrived within nine minutes as the suspect made off on foot.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo was “deeply shocked”, and said his thoughts were with victims, their relatives and other students and staff.
A witness told the Iltalehti newspaper that shots echoed across the schoolyard. “A terrible scream could be heard and children ran,” they said.
The child suspect was detained “in a calm manner” in the northern Siltamaki district of Helsinki around 10am.