At least 10 dead and many injured in Austrian school shooting
At least 10 people have been shot and killed in a school in Austria.
The shooting occurred at a school in the Austrian city of Graz, with reports varying that the number of people killed in the shooting range from nine to ten.
It is understood that at least seven of the victims were students at the school, which has a very heavy police presence, as well as another adult. The perpetrator has also died in the shooting, although the nature of his death is not yet known. At least 10 people have been shot and killed in a school in Austria. Pic: ERWIN SCHERIAU/APA/AFP via Getty Images
Ganz Mayor Elke Kahr said that many others have been injured and were rushed to hospital following the shooting, calling the incident 'a national tragedy.'
A spokesperson for the Ganz Police said that the area has been sealed off, but declined to confirm how many were killed in the incident. It is understood that the gunman was found dead in a bathroom in the school.
'There is no further danger for the population, but there are several dead,' the spokesperson told Austrian television. The attack saw several deaths, including students at the school, and the gunman has also been killed. Pic: ERWIN SCHERIAU/APA/AFP via Getty Images
The sale of pistols, revolvers and semi-automatic weapons are permitted in Austria, which has a heavily armed civilian population. Machine guns and pump action guns are banned, but rifles and shotguns are permitted with a firearms licence, or a valid hunting licence. Members of traditional shooting clubs are also permitted to hold these guns.
Despite a recent report finding that there are approximately 30 guns per 100 people in Austria, public attacks are rare — but the country has been hit with several incidents over the last number of years, including back in February, when a Syrian asylum seeker stabbed a teenager to death and injured five others.
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