Three children have been injured in a school shooting in Finland, police say.
All those involved were aged 12, police said – including the perpetrator, who has been detained.
The victims were taken to hospital, a police spokesperson told Reuters news agency.
Officers were called to the incident at Viertola school in Vantaa just after 7am UK time.
The shooting took place at Viertola school in Vantaa, a
suburb of the Finnish capital Helsinki
The school has two sites, Liljatie and Jokiranta. The shooting took place at the Jokiranta campus.
Finnish broadcaster MTV Uutiset reported emergency services – including armed police officers – were at the scene.
The pupils injured in the attack were taken to hospital. Pic: Markku Ulander/Lehtikuva via Reuters
Some of the children reportedly hid during the attack, while others who had been contacted by their parents on mobile phones said they saw what happened.
“The immediate danger is over,” said the school’s principal Sari Laasila.
Parents gather outside the school. Pic: Markku Ulander/Lehtikuva via Reuters
A witness told MTV Uutiset the suspect was arrested just before 10am in an area of Helsinki called Siltakylantie – a 50-minute walk from the school.
They said police stopped a hooded, young person who dropped an object that looked like a weapon on the ground and knelt down.
The school, situated in the outskirts of the Finnish capital Helsinki, has around 800 students from first to ninth grade – aged seven to 16.
Local residents have been asked to stay away from the area.
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