olice and police cars outside the Vähäjärvi School in Pirkkala, on May 20, 2025. Three pupils have been wounded in stabbing incident at the school. Police have arrested one of the students of the school. Photo: Mika Kylmäniemi / Str / Lehtikuva
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A 16-year-old boy is in custody after stabbing three female pupils at Vähäjärvi School in Pirkkala on Tuesday morning. Police confirmed the suspect was a student at the school. The victims, all fellow pupils, sustained non-life-threatening injuries caused by a bladed weapon.
The attack occurred shortly before 11:00, prompting a large police and emergency response. According to eyewitnesses, the suspect was apprehended about 500 metres from the school on Suupantie. Armed officers detained him without resistance.
Police confirmed the injuries: one victim was stabbed in the neck, another in the hand, and the third in the waist. All were hospitalised but are expected to survive.
Yle and Iltalehti reported that the suspect had published a manifesto online before the incident. The manifesto described his intention to stab girls, stating he had no friends and sought notoriety through violence. He reportedly planned the act for six months and claimed to have used ChatGPT in the preparation. Police are reviewing the document as part of their investigation but have not yet confirmed its authorship.
Interior Minister Mari Rantanen and Education Minister Anders Adlercreutz condemned the attack. Adlercreutz stated on X that “all violence in schools is unequivocally condemnable.” Social Security Minister Sanni Grahn-Laasonen stressed the need for children to have access to adult support in the aftermath.
Pirkkala police said the suspect was arrested within minutes of the attack. The school was placed in lockdown and searched to ensure safety. Parents of the injured pupils were notified promptly. Police also began technical investigations at the scene and announced a press briefing in Tampere at 17:00.
Eyewitness reports described confusion and fear as students were confined to classrooms during the lockdown. Parents gathered outside the school waiting to be reunited with their children. One father told Helsingin Sanomat he had not yet seen his children by 13:00, and that students were being released class by class.
A student from the nearby upper secondary school said the incident shocked the local community. “Nothing like this has ever happened here in Pirkanmaa,” he told Helsingin Sanomat. “It’s hard to believe this could happen in such a quiet place.”
Vähäjärvi School, with around 1,200 pupils from preschool to year nine, has experienced lockdown drills before, according to several parents. These preparations were credited with helping school staff and students respond calmly during the crisis.
The suspect is being held while police investigate the motive and verify the content of the online publication. Investigators confirmed that the suspect appeared to have deliberately targeted female pupils.
The National Bureau of Investigation has been informed of the incident. No charges have yet been filed, but the suspect is expected to undergo psychological evaluation.
Authorities have not released the names of the victims or the suspect. The school remained closed for the rest of the day, and local officials said psychological support would be available to pupils and staff.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
