Politician, two journalists gunned down in Finland

Three women including a local politician and two journalists were shot dead by a rifle outside a restaurant in Finland at around midnight last night, police said on Sunday.

A 23-year-old local man with a criminal record was detained at the scene following what is believed to be a random attack on the small Finish town of Imatra, the Southeastern Finland police department said.

It said the motive for the killings remained unclear.

“At the moment, it looks like the victims were chosen at random,” DI Saku Tielinen told a news conference.

The victims, one of whom has been identified by police as Tiina Wilén-Jäppinen, chairwoman of Imatra city council, were gunned down in a pedestrian area outside the restaurant late Saturday just before a police patrol arrived to the scene around midnight, police spokeswoman Heli Jamsen-Turkki said.

The three victims were shot multiple times in the head and torso with a rifle.

The suspect obeyed officers and did not resist arrest before being detained.

“We decided to open a crisis centre after the shooting occurred right in the middle of the town near restaurants and nightclubs,” said Saara Raudasoja, a spokeswoman for the South Karelia Social and Health Care District. 

“There were people there when it happened. In such a small place, it's quite a huge incident and many people were shocked.”

Imatra, which has 28,000 inhabitants, is about 230 kilometres east of the capital, Helsinki.