The city of Turku in Finland was witness to a dangerous man who killed two and left six others hospitalized yesterday in a stabbing attack.
Officers have successfully taken a suspect into custody shooting him in the leg after he tried to escape, police said. Police have not revealed a motive and said it was too early to tell whether the attack was terror-related.
“We have a heightened awareness level of terrorism currently, but we did not have any specific threats to act upon,” Turku Superintendent Stephan Sundqvist told.
The attack prompted police to boost patrols across the country, and security has been tightened at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport and train stations. Police said on Twitter that they were also patrolling a shopping mall. Finnish Interior Minister Paula Risikko told YLE the identity of the attacker was still unknown.
‘There was blood everywhere’
The attack occurred around 4 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET) at two marketplaces close to each other in the city center — Kauppatori, known in English as Central Market Square, as well as the Puutori Market Square, police said.
Three people are now undergoing surgery, YLE reported, citing hospital sources. Police warned the public to stay away from the city center.
Mayor urges calm
Turku sits on the coast around 140 kilometers (around 85 miles) west of the capital, Helsinki. With a population of about 185,000, it’s an important business and cultural center.
Sundqvist said police were on the scene within a few minutes of the first reports of the stabbings.
“There was only one shot fired and the aggressor was apprehended and brought to hospital,” he said. The mayor of Turku, Aleksi Randell, said the city center appears to be safe now and urged citizens to remain calm.
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