Police say they’ve found incendiary devices at the home of the only suspect in a Tuesday afternoon sword attack which killed one woman and left ten other people injured.
At a press conference in the eastern city of Kuopio on Tuesday afternoon, officers said the army had been called in to deal with the incendiary devices and make them safe.
The only suspect in this case is in police custody, and was injured as police used firearms during his arrest, when he attacked an officer.
Detective Chief Inspector Mikko Lyytinen from the Eastern Finland Police says the suspect was born in 1994, is from Finland, and was carrying a saber-type weapon and a firearm when he was detained. He had no prior criminal record.
Police say the man in custody is a student at the Savo Vocational College which has a number of classrooms inside Herman Shopping Centre.
Police received the first emergency call at 12:29 alerting them to a possible stabbing incident, and the man was in custody by 12:37. During the incident there was also a fire on the second floor of the building but it was extinguished quickly by rescue crews.
Injured people treated in hospital
A total of ten people were taken to hospital for treatment, including a police officer and the suspect.
Antti Hedman, Chief Medical officer at North Savo Hospital KYS says that two people have serious injuries but are in a stable condition. Two others have since been discharged.
The Finnish Red Cross has opened opened its doors at Puijonkatu 9 in Kuopio for students, relatives and friends of people at Savo Vocational Collages where trained volunteers will provide support on Tuesday until 22:00.
Kuopio University Hospital says anyone concerned about relatives who might be injured can call 017 172 000 for more information.
For the time being the Herman Shopping Centre is closed while the investigation continues, except for the K-Rauta store.
