The Kuopio school stabbing occurred on 1 October 2019 at Savo Vocational College in
Kuopio,
Northern Savonia, Finland. Armed with a
sabre, 25-year-old student Joel Otto Aukusti Marin killed a female student and wounded nine others. He also carried an
air pistol which was not used during the attack; it was initially mistaken for a real firearm. The attack ended when a policeman shot and wounded Marin.[1]
Attack
The attack began in a classroom at Savo Vocational College, located in the premises of the Herman shopping mall. Students in the classroom described how Marin arrived to class with a "long bag", took out a
longsword and began stabbing people.[1] Police were alerted at 12:29. The attack lasted for at least eight minutes, during which Marin stabbed ten people. The only fatality was a 23-year-old
Ukrainian-born woman who was a student at the college. During the attack, a fire was started in the building, presumably by Marin, but it was quickly extinguished.[2] The attack ended when a policeman shot and severely wounded Marin, who was sent to the
Kuopio University Hospital for treatment. The policeman was also wounded.[3]
Perpetrator
Joel Otto Aukusti Marin (born 1994) was a student at Savo Vocational College. The police found several incendiary devices similar to a
Molotov cocktail when they searched Marin's apartment after the attack.[4] Based on preliminary information, he had no previous criminal record.[2]
Marin had moved to Kuopio from the municipality of
Siilinjärvi at some point after
matriculating in 2014.[5] He had been regularly
bullied since primary school for reasons such as his clothing and being overweight. He was described as quiet and lonely.[6] Marin had participated in shooting courses at the Kuopio Shooting Club.[7]
Aftermath
The
Finnish Parliament (eduskunta) held a minute-long
moment of silence the day after the attack to honor the victims.
Finnish Prime MinisterAntti Rinne called the violence "shocking and completely unacceptable"[8] and visited Kuopio on 4 October.[9] In November 2020 the perpetrator was sentenced to life imprisonment.[10]