Reports that the suspect in Thursday’s knifing incident had issued threats of gun violence at a previous school he attended were apparently not shared with the Myllytulli vocational school.
Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen told Yle that legislation governing the protection of confidential information may have prevented the flow of certain reports from one school to another.
She said a ministry working group is currently working on a bill to improve the flow of certain kinds of information, adding that the goal was to have the draft legislation ready by the end of the year.
The 16-year old student who stabbed four young adults at the Myllytulli vocational school in Oulu has admitted to committing the deed. He also provided police with a detailed account of the incident under questioning Thursday evening.
Motive still unclear
Officers say that while the young man confessed to the deed, he either could not or would not give a clear motive.
“Under questioning he told us in rather minute detail what happened on the school compound. He as much as admitted that he selected his victims randomly. I don’t know whether or not that’s true, but that’s what he’s saying at this point. We’ll see where we go from here in further questioning,” said deputy police chief Arto Karnaranta.
The suspect is expected to appear before the Oulu district court to be remanded into custody. According to a statement issued Friday morning, police say investigations into the incident have progressed with officers interviewing witnesses and other parties.
Crisis counselling for students, staff
Police said that three of the victims are expected to be released from intensive care units Friday, while the fourth is also still receiving medical treatment in hospital.
At the school, students and staff were offered crisis counseling Friday morning, and school authorities set up a special discussion forum to provide students with a channel for emotional release.
