A masked gunman whose violent YouTube postings prompted police to question him just a day earlier opened fire Sept. 23 at his trade school in Finland, killing 10 people and burning some of their bodies before fatally shooting himself in the head.

Matti Juhani Saari AP PHOTO

Finnish media identified the gunman as Matti Juhani Saari, a 22-year-old student at the school.

Witnesses said panic broke out as the gunman, dressed in black and carrying a large bag, started firing in a classroom during an exam. The shootings began just before 11 a.m. as about 150 students were at the Kauhajoki School of Hospitality, 300 km northwest of Helsinki.

Police spokesman Jari Neulaniemi said the attacker walked into the school armed with a .22-caliber pistol and carrying explosives. He killed 10 people, including a teacher, and burned some of them beyond recognition, Neulaniemi said.

Police had questioned the gunman Sept. 22 about YouTube postings in which he is seen firing a handgun, but he was released because there was no legal reason to hold him, Interior Minister Anne Holmlund said.