VANTAA, FINLAND – A school community in Finland was shattered after a 12-year-old student opened fire on his classmates while he was on the school campus. The deadly shooting ended with the 12-year-old killing one of his fellow students and critically injuring two others. All three of the shooting victims were also only 12 years old.
The shooting took place at a lower secondary school in Vantaa, a city near the capital, Helsinki. The suspected shooter in the deadly incident was apprehended by police a short time after the gunfire erupted. The young boy was found in possession of a handgun. Authorities have cordoned off the school, which serves around 800 students.
Finland’s Interior Minister, Mari Rantanen, expressed shock and sympathy for the families who were affected by the devastating gun violence. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo condemned the shooting as “deeply shocking.”
The motive behind the brutal attack remains unclear. While gun violence is rare in Finland, this tragedy marks the third deadly school shooting in the nation’s recent history.
Finland has high rates of gun ownership with a strong tradition of hunting. In the wake of previous school shootings, the country revised its gun laws, raising the age limit for ownership and expanding police background checks.