What Happened in the Violent Incident at a Finnish School?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Three students injured in Pirkkala school stabbing.
- Suspect apprehended shortly after the attack.
- Injuries reported as non-life-threatening.
- Manifesto from suspect now part of investigation.
- Education Minister condemns violence in schools.
Helsinki, May 20 (NationPress) Three students sustained injuries during a stabbing incident at a school located in the town of Pirkkala, which is in proximity to the city of Tampere in southern Finland on Tuesday. A fourth student has been detained as the alleged perpetrator, as confirmed by Finnish police.
The injured students have been treated medically, and their injuries are currently assessed as non-life-threatening. The suspect was caught roughly half a kilometer away from the school shortly after the incident, according to the authorities.
The police received an emergency report about the violence at the school at 10:42 a.m. By 11:00 a.m., several patrol units were already on-site to address the situation. Later, at 12:18 p.m., police announced that they had conducted a thorough inspection of the school building and that the immediate threat was resolved; however, officers continued to maintain a presence at the location.
Vahajarvi School, where this incident occurred, accommodates more than 1,200 students from grades one through nine. The town of Pirkkala lies approximately 180 km north of the capital, Helsinki.
Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reported that they received a manifesto, allegedly sent by the suspect prior to the incident. Police have confirmed that this document is currently part of the investigation.
The manifesto indicates that the suspect is a 16-year-old male who utilized a knife and specifically targeted female students, according to reports from the Xinhua news agency. It details that the suspect had been planning the attack for six months, with intentions to kill one individual and injure at least two others. Furthermore, it mentions that the suspect had planned to surrender to the authorities post-attack.
Eyewitness accounts shared with Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat describe the boy, clad in black, standing at a street corner when police arrived, where he was detained without any resistance.
Finnish Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz condemned the violence in a written statement, asserting: "Violence in schools is unequivocally to be condemned."
A police press conference is set to take place in Tampere at 5:00 p.m. local time.