At least three people have been injured in an act of violence at a Finnish school, the police said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that the perpetrator had been apprehended.
Police in the city of Pirkkala received reports of violence from the Vähäjärvi School at 10.42am local time, and sent armed officers to deal with the incident.
Details of the incident are currently scant, but video footage apparently taken from inside the school showed at least five police cars and vans rushing to the school, which teaches around 1,500 students.
Cops are still at the school, and are continuing their investigation. They are reportedly working to remove the students from the school’s grounds.
Local media reported that a Rapid Response Unit was seen rushing to the school.
Officials said that those who were hurt did not suffer life-threatening injuries.
A mother of a child who attends the school told local media that its leadership team sent out a ‘red alert’ and ordered students to go to their classrooms.
They also appear to have had their phones either taken from them or banned, as communication with the children was not possible.
‘We are completely clueless. I assume our child is not among the victims because we have not been targeted. It’s terrible,’ the mother told Aamulehti.
Local police are set to release more details of the incident at 5pm local time at the Tampere Central Police Station.
More to follow.