TURKU: Two people were killed and six were injured in a stabbing spree in the Finnish city of Turku on Friday, police said, after officers shot one suspect and warned several others could be at large.
“There are eight victims in the stabbing. Two dead and six injured,” Turku police tweeted.
Police shot one suspect in the legs and arrested him. Security forces wrote on Twitter that police were “looking for other possible perpetrators”.
Police shot one suspect in the legs and arrested him, while security forces wrote on Twitter that police were “looking for other possible perpetrators”.
“They ask the population to leave and avoid central Turku,” the tweet added.
Public television station Yle reported that central Turku was on lockdown, with the police operation focusing on a busy square. Businesses were shut.
MTV3 television reported that police have increased security at Helsinki airport and at train stations.
The stabbing spree comes with Europe on high alert a day after drivers slammed vehicles into pedestrians in two attacks in Spain, killing at least 14 people and injuring more than 100 others. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the Barcelona attack.
The motive for the stabbing in Turku was not yet known. Finland’s interior minister was due to give a press conference at 1600 GMT.
“The government is closely following the events in Turku and the ongoing police operation. The government will meet later today,” Prime Minister Juha Sipila wrote on his Twitter account.
In 2012, Finland’s then-prime minister Jyrki Katainen escaped a knife attack in Turku while campaigning for municipal elections.
The man who approached him carrying a knife was found to be psychologically disturbed and no charges were brought against him.
A former capital of Finland, Turku remains a hub for business and culture.
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