18-year-old admits Kale shopping centre stabbing, victims picked at random

The 18-year-old charged in the stabbing outside the Kale shopping centre in Tampere last Tuesday has admitted the main outlines of the attack and selected his victims at random.

He was remanded in custody by the Pirkanmaa district court on Thursday. Chief detective Marfa Raipela told YLE the motive appeared to be anger tied to the suspect's personal circumstances rather than any connection to the victims.

One person was hospitalised with injuries and another avoided physical harm, although their clothing was torn. The suspect initially denied the incident during early questioning, citing memory loss and intoxication; he has since acknowledged the events in broad terms.

Police say the investigation is well advanced, with a few technical tests and statements still pending, including analyses to confirm the suspect's level of intoxication.

This follows earlier reporting that two people were detained after a stabbing outside the Kale shopping centre, in which one person was taken to hospital.