Story highlights
NEW: The 18-year-old man is in police custody, regional chief inspector Timo Leppälä says
NEW: Police responded to reports of shooting in front of a restaurant in the early hours
No information has been given about the motive for the shootings
An 18-year-old man was arrested early Saturday in Finland over a shooting spree that left two people dead and eight wounded, police told CNN’s Finnish affiliate MTV3.
Regional chief inspector Timo Leppälä told the channel the police were alerted to a shooting incident in front of a restaurant on Uusimaa Street shortly before 2 a.m. local time.
Officers responded within a minute and heard gunfire, Leppälä said.
About four hours later, police got word that a man wearing camouflage clothing had been spotted near the center of the southern Finnish town of Hyvinkaa, Leppälä told MTV3.
Police were able to take the man calmly into custody at 7:45 a.m. local time, he said.
The suspect is a local man, Leppälä said, and a gun and other materials are now in the hands of police.
Regional chief inspector Markku Tuominen told MTV3: “It is possible that there are more people involved in the case.”
He said the suspect did not have permission to have firearms.
MTV3 initially reported one death, citing the police.
Two of those wounded in the attack were in critical condition, a hospital official earlier told the channel. It is not clear if one of those victims died.
No information was released about the motive for the shootings.
Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto expressed condolences to the family members of the victims.
