Gunman kills 10 people in school shooting in Austria’s Graz; attacker dead
Suspected shooter reported to have died by suicide as country mourns after one of its worst mass shootings.
10 dead in Austria’s deadliest school attack
A 10th victim has died in a shooting at a school in the Austrian city of Graz, and more than 10 others have been injured, according to Austrian media and a local hospital.
The suspected attacker is also dead, according to the Austrian Press Agency. Police were deployed to the BORG Dreierschutzengasse school in Austria’s second largest city on Tuesday morning after shots were heard and secured the premises.
Local media reports identified the suspect as a 21-year-old former Austrian student who had been a victim of bullying. His motive was not yet known and he had no previous police record.
He reportedly carried a pistol and a shotgun and opened fire on pupils in two classrooms, one of which had once been his classroom. Media reports said he died by suicide and his body was found in a bathroom.
Austria will hold three days of national mourning for Tuesday’s violence, which appears to be the deadliest attack in the nation’s history since World War II.
“No further danger is expected,” the police said earlier in the day, adding that students had been evacuated and were receiving support from a crisis intervention team along with their parents.
Among those killed were at least seven students, Graz Mayor Elke Kahr said, describing the attack as a “terrible tragedy”. At least two adults were also killed.
The Kronen Zeitung newspaper reported shots were first heard about 10am (08:00 GMT) and the attack was carried out across two classrooms at the upper secondary school, which is attended by pupils 14 years and older.
Metin Özden was in his kebab restaurant near the school when he first heard police cars sped by, and then a police helicopter above. He told the Kronen Zeitung: “I knew something bad had happened. … I’ve never seen so many emergency services in my entire life.” He also described seeing parents walking past his restaurant and crying on the way to the school.
Police said they are working on the assumption that there was a sole suspect.
Chancellor Christian Stocker planned to travel to the school, a spokeswoman said. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner was also expected at the scene.
Mario Kunasek, governor of the southeastern Austrian state of Styria, of which Graz – which has a population of about 300,000 people – is the capital, expressed condolences to families of the victims.
“As a father, I am deeply saddened by this insane act, which has caused so much harm and incredible suffering,” he said. “My thoughts are with the innocent victims, families and teachers.”
A spokeswoman for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the killings “absolutely horrible and tragic”.
“We would like to offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and the entire city of Graz. We stand together in mourning while we seek clarity in the wake of this horrible event,” she said.
The issue of gun-ownership is expected to be debated in Austria, which has one of the highest ownership rates in Europe, following this attack, said Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Graz.
“Many people think this is about time for strict background checks to prevent similar shootings in the future,” concluded Ahelbarra.