Finland Sword Attack: Mass Stabbing in Kuopio

finland sword

The scene of a Finland sword attack.

A student wielding a sword went on a rampage in Kuopio, Finland, wounding multiple people in the mass stabbing attack.

According to Finnish and British news sites, the student, who was not identified, left nine people wounded after rushing into a vocational college with the sword.

The attack happened on October 1, 2019 at Savo Vocational College. The student “began stabbing as many people as possible,” Sun reported. Finnish police wrote on Twitter: “According to current information, nine people have been injured, including one suspect. In addition, one person is known to have died. One dead body has been found at the college premises of Kuopio Herman.”

The stabbing report came in at 12:29 p.m., and police arrested the suspect eight minutes later, according to Iltalehti, a Finnish language publication. The site reported that there was also a fire in the area around the same time, but it wasn’t clear if it was related to the attack. The motive was not released.

According to BBC, the suspect is a “Finnish man.” The Finnish prime minister called the violent attack “shocking and completely unacceptable,” BBC reported. CNN described the swordman as a Finnish citizen. The suspect, who is wounded, was taken into custody.

Here’s what you need to know:


There Were Reports of a Bloody Teacher Running for Help

finland sword attack

Police cars stand on the blocked grounds of the Hermanni shopping centre in Kuopio, Finland, after an attack occurred on the premises of the Savo Vocational College on October 1, 2019.

The Finnish publication MTV Uutiset reported that the attack occurred at the Herman shopping center in Kuopio. A witness who works at a car rental shop told the publication that “a bloody teacher who was wounded by a sword came to seek help.” One woman had a 10-inch hand wound, MTV Uutiest reported.

According to the news site, the suspect pulled a sword out of a bag. One of those wounded was a classmate.

“According to current information, the incident in Kuopio occurred at the premises of the Savo vocational school located in the Herman shopping centre,” police said.

One person died and shots were fired, according to Mirror. The British publication reported that 10 people were wounded if you count the suspect, two of them seriously.

The school has about 600 students, according to BBC. Kuopio, located in the region of Northern Savonia, is Finland’s 9th most populous city with more than 118,000 residents. Students age 16 and older attend the vocational school where the stabbing occurred, according to CNN.

In a tweet, the president of Finland released this statement, “The President of the Republic has expressed his shock at the events in Kuopio. He expresses his deepest condolences to the relatives of the deceased. To the other victims, the president hopes to have the strength to recover.”