Several people were stabbed near a shopping centre in Finland today.
Police and ambulances rushed to Ratina shopping centre in the city of Tampere on Thursday afternoon following reports of a violent knife rampage.
Four people were injured in the attack, which took place at around 4:30pm local time.
One person was arrested in connection with the stabbing, police confirmed.
Wounded victims were given first aid at the scene whilst police cordoned off the area.
Witnesses told Finnish news outlet Ilta-Sanomat that customers at the shopping centre began screaming and running outside when the incident unfolded.
One bystander said: “I heard a woman scream that she had been stabbed… I didn’t really have time to react because I was in such shock.
Another witness said there was “a lot of blood” at the scene.
They described seeing two victims lying on the ground being treated by first aiders.
Images and videos surfacing on social media show emergency services outside the shopping centre.
Others show blood stains on the pavement outside the building.
An investigation is currently underway, with officers understood to be interviewing witnesses.
Police blockaded all doors of the shopping mall and people were not allowed to enter or leave the centre.
Cops confirmed there is no ongoing threat to the public.
They did not give further details on the extent of the injuries or information about the perpetrator.
Local media have described the suspect as a Finnish man in his twenties.
Some reports specified the arrested individual was a 20-year-old male.
The situation no longer poses a danger to outsiders,” a spokesperson for the local police force said in a statement.
Local media reported that employees from the social and crisis emergency services had arrived to attend victims and bystanders.
Tampere, Finland’s third largest city, is located around 180 kilometres from capital Helsinki.
A large pool of blood was visible outside a restaurant, according to Finnish broadcaster Yle.
Blood trailed from the mall to a nearby highway.
Workers used pressure washers to clean up blood stains outside the mall after the attack.
Police provided no immediate details about the motive for the stabbing.
There were no fatalities reported in the incident.
The attack reportedly unfolded following a dispute, according to some local reports.
Emergency services responded rapidly to the scene with multiple ambulances and police vehicles.
The Ratina shopping centre is a major retail destination in Tampere.
The bloody stabbing outside the Finnish mall comes weeks after three pupils were injured in a knife rampage at a school.
Police in the city of Pirkkala received reports of violence from the Vähäjärvi School on the morning of May 20.
Armed officers were sent to deal with that incident.
Video footage apparently taken from inside the school showed at least five police cars and vans rushing to the school.
The school teaches around 1,500 students.
Thursday’s stabbing has raised fresh concerns about knife violence in Finland.
The country has experienced several high-profile stabbing incidents in recent years.
In 2017, two people were killed and eight injured in a knife attack in Turku.
That attack was treated as terrorism by authorities.
Finland generally has low levels of violent crime compared to many other European countries.
However, knife attacks have become a growing concern for authorities.
The quick response by police today prevented the situation from escalating further.
Witnesses praised the rapid arrival of emergency services at the scene.
Many shoppers were evacuated from the centre during the incident.
Some remained locked inside stores as a precautionary measure.
The shopping centre management has not yet issued a statement about the attack.
Local authorities are expected to provide more details as the investigation progresses.
The incident has shocked residents of Tampere, typically considered a safe city.
Social media users shared messages of support for the victims.
Many expressed concern about the apparent increase in knife violence.
The Finnish government has been reviewing measures to address knife crime.
Today’s incident is likely to intensify calls for stricter controls on weapons.
Police are urging anyone with information about the attack to come forward.
They are particularly interested in speaking to witnesses who may have filmed the incident.
The Ratina shopping centre is expected to remain partially closed as investigations continue.
Counselling services have been made available for those affected by the traumatic event.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
Image credit:
Hatanpään valtatie in spring 2022. Photo by Peltimikko, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
View image
