Finnish police have confirmed that 10 people and the gunman died in Tuesday's shooting at the Seinajoki vocational centre in western Finland.

Finnish police have confirmed that 10 people and the gunman died in Tuesday's shooting at the Seinajoki vocational centre in western Finland. The college, in the small town of Kauhajoki, about 300km (205 miles) north-west of the capital, Helsinki, has around 150 students. The gunman, Matti Juhani Saari, entered the building at around 1100 local time carrying a Walther P22 pistol and wearing a ski mask. After randomly shooting students writing an exam, Saari was cornered by armed police. He died later in hospital from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Police said the 22-year-old had left a handwritten note explaining his hatred forthe human race and that he had been planning the shooting since 2002.
It is unclear how many people were injured in the incident. Last November, a student shot eight people dead at a school in the town of Jokela, north of the capital, Helsinki. This incident in Kauhajoki is eerily reminiscent of those killings, with a similar weapon being used and a similar video being posted on the internet by the suspect prior to the killings. Police admit they interviewed Saari on Monday in connection with three videos that were posted on the YouTube website last week.
One of the videos shows a young man firing a pistol before pointing the weapon at the camera and declaring in English "you will die next". But no action was taken by the authorities to confiscate Saari's legally held pistol or to hold him into custody.

Posted in: Kauhajoki