Female politician & two journalists shot dead in Imatra, Finland – police
The chair of the city council and two journalists have been killed in a shooting in the Finnish town of Imatra, police said, adding that the assailant was immediately arrested.
The killings took place near local Vuoksenvahti restaurant at midnight on Saturday, when a 23-year-old man with a rifle reportedly attacked three women, the chair of the town’s city council, Tiina Wilén-Jäppinen, and two journalists, police said, as cited by Yle national broadcaster.
#BREAKING: Local mayor and two journalists have been shot dead last night by a sniper in #Imatra#Finland, suspect was arrested pic.twitter.com/bWRCa4ABUq
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) December 4, 2016
The shooter was immediately arrested near a parked car in front of the restaurant.
According to Yle reporter, the victims were “exiting the restaurant when they were fired upon.” All received gunshot wounds to the head and torso.
Vuoksenvahdin edustalla ammuttiin Imatran kaupungivaltuuston puheenjohtaja Tiina Wilén-Jäppinen ja kaksi toimittajaa https://t.co/khDB6x9tdm
— Etelä-Saimaa (@ESaimaa) December 4, 2016
Wilén-Jäppinen had represented the Social Democratic Party on the city council since 2001, local media said.
Imatra is a town in southeast Finland on the border with Russia with some 200,000 residents.
The motive of the killing remains unclear.
“At the moment, it looks like the victims were chosen at random,” Detective Inspector Saku Tielinen said during a news conference.
The suspect wasn’t known to police before the attack and specialists found no traces of alcohol in his blood, Tielinen added.
