Kauhajoki (Finland): 

Deranged: Matti Saari had been questioned by the police 24 hours before the murders, but was let off. pic/ap

The deranged shooter, who gunned down 10 students at his school in Finland, left suicide notes showing he had been planning the massacre for up to six years.

Matti Saari (22) left two notes in his dormitory at the Kauhajoki School of Hospitality.

Then, less than 24 hours after he was hauled in for questioning by the police who became concerned after seeing videos of Saari firing a handgun posted on YouTube, he opened fire in his school, killing 10 before turning the gun on himself.

He also had with him some homemade petrol bombs that he set off during the rampage.

Bodies badly burnt

Authorities said this morning that some of the bodies had been badly burnt and may take time to be identified.

Police believe a second person operated the camera during Saari's YouTube rants, and are now searching for that person.

They are also searching for a motive behind the atrocity.

The handwritten suicide notes left in Saari's dormitory explain he launched his attack because "I have always wanted to murder as many people as possible. I hate the human race".

The solution, he wrote, was "Walther 22" - that is, the Walther .22 calibre handgun he used to carry out the
slaughter and that he filmed himself using on YouTube.