VIENNA: On Tuesday morning, nine people were killed in a shooting spree at a Graz school, and a tenth person succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. The perpetrator was a 21-year-old former student. He committed suicide.
On Tuesday morning, shots were fired at Graz's BORG Dreierschützengasse. Nine people were killed, and the perpetrator committed suicide after the attack. The victims were six women and three men. On Tuesday evening, a tenth person succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. Eleven people were injured, some seriously. Authorities confirmed this on Tuesday afternoon.
According to authorities, the 21-year-old perpetrator had a firearms license. He had himself been a student at the high school but had not completed school, according to Interior Minister Gerhard Karner at a press conference. The two weapons used in the shooting were a long gun and a handgun. The perpetrator was not officially known to the authorities.
Media reports that one of the victims was a teacher have not been confirmed by the authorities.
No information on the background to the incident has yet been provided. The Director General for Public Security, Franz Ruf, stated at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that 300 officers were deployed.
A nationwide minute of silence will be observed at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Chancellor Stocker declared three days of national mourning.
School evacuated, care set up
The uninjured children and young people were housed near Graz's Helmut List Hall and cared for by crisis intervention teams and the Red Cross. A contact point for parents was set up in the ASKÖ Hall near the school. The entire area around the school was cordoned off on Tuesday morning, and police patrolled around Dreierschützengasse.
Memorial services will be held in Graz on Tuesday.
The large-scale operation began at 10 a.m., at which time reports of gunshots and loud screams were received. A helicopter reportedly circled the school for around 50 minutes, and the gunshots were reportedly undetectable from outside. According to police, rescue and emergency personnel were on the scene within minutes of being notified.
Franziska Schwarz .
profil. at .Austria
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