LAST UPDATE | 3 Apr
A 12-YEAR-OLD student suspected of fatally shooting a classmate and wounding two others in Finland told police that he was bullied at school, officials said, as a nation shocked by the attack held a day of mourning.
The suspect, who attended the school in the city of Vantaa, just outside Helsinki, was apprehended less than an hour after the shooting yesterday morning.
The boy and the victims were all classmates, police said.
“The motive for the act has been found to be bullying,” the Eastern Uusimaa Police Department, which is in charge of the investigation, said in a statement.
“The suspect has said during interrogations that he was the target of bullying, and this information has also been confirmed in the preliminary investigation by the police. The suspect had transferred to Viertola school at the beginning of this year.”
The minimum age of criminal liability in Finland is 15 years, which means the suspect cannot be formally arrested. A suspect younger than 15 can only be questioned by the police before they are handed over to child welfare authorities.
The Finnish blue-and-white flags were hoisted at half-mast and scores of people including parents, teachers and fellow students laid flowers and lit candles in the snowy landscape near the school building where the shooting occurred.
The ministry encouraged the whole country to participate in the event.
The school where the shooting occurred has around 90 staff and 800 pupils aged seven to 15.
According to the Finnish TV channel MTV Uutiset, the boy wore a mask and noise-cancelling headphones while carrying out the shooting.
The child who was killed, also aged 12, died at the scene, and the suspect had already fled the school by the time police arrived. Two other children were seriously injured in the incident.
Police later arrested the suspect in the Helsinki area with a gun in his possession. Police said the weapon the suspect was carrying belonged to a relative.
There were no other suspects, police said.
Investigation
Earlier, they said an investigation into murder and attempted murder had been opened.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said in a statement that the incident was “deeply upsetting”, adding that his thoughts were with the victims, their parents, other pupils and teachers.
“In the coming days, we must be present for the children and young people, offer them words of comfort and show them that we care about them,” he said in a statement.
“They may be scared or have questions. It is important that we talk about the incident in our homes.”
A witness told the Iltalehti newspaper that shots had echoed across the schoolyard.
“At first I didn’t understand it was a weapon. Then a terrible scream could be heard and children ran across the yard,” the witness said.
Parents of the students told journalists the shooting took place in a classroom.
Shortly after noon, police had begun letting parents who were waiting outside the school inside to see their children, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in a post on social media platform X that he was “shocked” by the shooting.
“I would like to express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased student,” Stubb said.
Includes reporting by Press Association and © AFP 2024
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