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Politics

Suspect arrested after deadly Finland attack

October 1, 2019

Nine people have been taken to hospital following the incident, which took place at Savo Vocational College in the eastern Finnish city of Kuopio.

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Hermanni shopping center, Kuopio, Finland
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Lehtikuva/J. Vesterinen

Police in Finland said on Tuesday that one person had died and 10 had been injured, including the suspect, in a violent incident at a vocational college in Kuopio, in the east of the country, about 380 kilometers (236 miles) north of the capital, Helsinki. 

Two of the wounded people were in a serious condition, according to a statement from the Eastern Finland Police service. 

"Officers used firearms during the situation. Police have detained one perpetrator. The injured have been evacuated," police said in a statement.

A map of Finland highlighting Kuopio

Police later said that the attacker was in possession of both an edged weapon and a gun. The suspect was also identified as a Finnish-born citizen.

Finland's prime minister, Antti Rinne, tweeted that the violence was "shocking and completely unacceptable." 

Finnish school shootings

Finland has seen two deadly school attacks in the past 12 years. In 2007, a student at the Jokela High School shot eight people dead before killing himself.

In 2008, a 22-year-old student at a vocational school in Kauhajoki shot 10 dead before committing suicide.

kw/msh (AP, AFP, dpa)

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