A man has shot dead a local councillor and two journalists with a rifle in a random attack outside a restaurant in the Finnish town of Imatra, according to Reuters.

Local police have confirmed that a 23-year-old man has been detained after three women were fatally shot in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The man, who had a criminal record prior to the incident, did not resist arrest.

A motive for the attack has not yet been established. "At the moment, it looks like the victims were chosen at random," Detective Inspector Saku Tielinen told a news conference on Sunday afternoon.

No other victims were reported.

One of the victims has been named as local politician Tiina Wilen-Jappinen, who chaired the Imatra City Council. The other two were local print journalists.

Imatra is a small town in eastern Finland, close to the Russian border and approximately 140 miles east of the capital Helsinki.

Authorities there have set up a crisis centre to deal with the aftermath of the attack, which took place at the heart of a popular nightclub neighbourhood in Imatra.

"We are working closely with law enforcement and the rescue services," said Saara Raudasoja from the South Karelia Social and Health Care District. "We all react strongly when people die. We have rehearsed crisis situations and health workers are on site to help those upset by the events of last night."