Helsinki, May 20 Three students were injured in a stabbing incident at a school in the town of Pirkkala, near the city of Tampere in southern Finland on Tuesday. A fourth student has been arrested as the suspect, Finnish police confirmed.
The injured students have received medical treatment, and their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The suspect was apprehended approximately half km from the school shortly after the attack, according to the police.
The police received a report of violence at the school through the emergency center at 10:42 a.m.. At 11:00 a.m., they stated that several patrols were on the scene to investigate the situation. Later, at 12:18 p.m., the police announced that they had inspected the school premises and that the acute situation was over. However, officers remained at the scene.
Vahajarvi School, where the incident took place, serves more than 1,200 students from grades one through nine. The town of Pirkkala is some 180 km north of the capital Helsinki.
Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reported receiving a manifesto allegedly sent in advance by the suspect. Police have confirmed that the document is now part of the ongoing investigation.
According to the manifesto, the suspect is a 16-year-old male who used a knife and intentionally targeted female students, Xinhua news agency reported. The document states that the suspect had planned the attack for six months, intending to kill one person and injure at least two others. It also notes that the suspect intended to surrender to police after the attack.
Eyewitnesses told Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that the boy, dressed in black, was standing at a street corner when police arrived and he was detained without resistance.
Finnish Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz condemned the violence in a written statement, saying: "Violence in schools is unequivocally to be condemned."
A police press conference is scheduled to be held in Tampere at 5:00 p.m. local time.
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