One dead, 10 others injured in sword attack at school in Finland

HELSINKI - One person died and 10 others were injured in a violent incident on Tuesday at Savo vocational school in Kuopio, eastern Finland.

At a press conference held in the afternoon, police confirmed that a sword attack occurred in the premises of Savo vocational school located in Hermann shopping center in Kuopio.

The 25-year-old suspect was a "native-born Finnish citizen", who was a male student of the school, said the police.

He used a bladed weapon of some kind in the attack. In the course of the incident, he was shot by police and seriously wounded. He is currently being treated at Kuopio University Hospital.

The Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat reported that the dead person was a young woman studying at the vocational school, and she was believed to be the main target of the attack.

The 10 injured included one police officer and the suspect.

Heikki Helve, director of the Savo Association of Educational Institutions, said at the press conference that more than 300 students and about 30 staff were on the scene.

According to information obtained by Finnish national broadcaster, Yle, the injured were 15 to 50 years old, and mostly women.

After the attack, the city of Kuopio announced that crisis consulting has been arranged by the Red Cross at the scene for those affected.

Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne responded on Twitter that the violence at Savo vocational school in Kuopio is "shocking and completely unacceptable", and "the government is monitoring the situation closely."