Finnish School Stabbing Attack Leaves Three Injured

(MENAFN) Three students sustained injuries in a stabbing attack at a school in Pirkkala, a town near Tampere in southern Finland, on Tuesday. Authorities have arrested a fellow student in connection with the incident, police confirmed.

The injured students were treated medically, and their wounds are not considered life-threatening. Law enforcement apprehended the suspect roughly 500 meters from the school shortly after the incident, officials said.

Emergency services were alerted to the violence at 10:42 a.m., and by 11:00 a.m., multiple police units had arrived at the school to assess the situation. At 12:18 p.m., police declared that the immediate threat had passed following a thorough search of the school building, although officers continued to maintain a presence at the location.

The incident occurred at Vähäjärvi School, which educates over 1,200 students from first through ninth grade. Pirkkala is located approximately 180 kilometers north of Finland’s capital, Helsinki.

According to a Finnish outlet, the suspect allegedly sent a manifesto prior to the attack. Police have verified that this document is now included in their investigation.

The manifesto reportedly identifies the suspect as a 16-year-old boy who used a knife and specifically targeted female students. It claims he had been planning the assault for six months, with the intention of killing one individual and harming at least two others. The suspect also stated he intended to surrender after the act.

Witnesses told Helsingin Sanomat that the suspect, dressed in black, was standing on a street corner when officers arrived and took him into custody without incident.

Anders Adlercreutz, Finnish Minister of Education, sharply denounced the attack in a written statement, stating: "Violence in schools is unequivocally to be condemned."

A press briefing by police is expected to take place in Tampere at 5:00 p.m. local time.

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