Gunman kills 3 in Finland; police say no political motive
HELSINKI -- A gunman in Finland killed a local town councilor and two journalists in an apparent random shooting in a small town's nightlife district, police said Sunday. A local man was detained on suspicion of murder.
The chairwoman of the Imatra town council and two female reporters were gunned down in a pedestrian area outside a restaurant around midnight Saturday, police spokeswoman Heli Jamsen-Turkki said. Police said two of the victims were in their early 50s and one was in her mid-30s.
Police detained a 23-year-old suspect who didn't resist arrest. He had allegedly fired four or five shots, hitting his victims in the head and torso with a hunting rifle, authorities said.
Detective Superintendent Saku Tielinen, who is leading the investigation, said the suspect had a criminal record that included violent incidents and theft, but declined to identify him.
"There is no indication of a political motive. It seems the gunman and victims didn't know each other," Tielinen said. "All indications are that he chose his victims randomly."
