Austria gunman had 'significant passion' for school shootings, police say
A 21-year-old gunman who killed nine students and a teacher at his former school in Austria had developed a fascination and "significant passion" for such shootings in recent years, investigators say.
Police say the former pupil planned at the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school in Graz down to the smallest detail - but are still uncertain as to the motive for his rampage.
They have also flagged a series of copycat threats that are causing disruption.
After the shooter's body was discovered, investigators found he still had 24 bullets in two magazines and another 18 loose bullets for his Glock handgun, along with 17 bullets for his shotgun, according to Michael Lohnegger, the head of Styria province's criminal police office.
This has led to questions about why he decided to stop shooting when he did.
Detectives continue to trawl through a string of social media accounts attributed to the man - who has not been identified - to determine which are genuine.
They can "say with certainty that, over the years, he developed a significant passion in general terms for the phenomenon of school shootings," Mr Lohnegger said.
"He glorifies not just the acts in general, but also the perpetrators who carried out these acts."
Read more from Sky News:
Eleven people were also wounded in the shootings last week, after which the gunman also died by suicide. Two of those wounded have so far been released from hospital. Two remain in intensive care.
Police also highlighted an ongoing issue with copycats making threats. In Graz alone, their threats have triggered around 30 police interventions in the past few days, the Styrian Police Department said.
Austria's Chancellor Christian Stocker said gun laws in the country, which are among the more liberal in the EU, will be tightened in the wake of the attack.
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Austria gunman had 'significant passion' for school shootings, police say
A 21-year-old gunman who killed nine students and a teacher at his former school in Austria had developed a fascination and "significant passion" for such shootings in recent years, investigators say. Police say the former pupil planned at the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school in Graz down to the smallest detail - but are still uncertain as to the motive for his rampage. They have also flagged a series of copycat threats that are causing disruption. After the shooter's body was discovered, investigators found he still had 24 bullets in two magazines and another 18 loose bullets for his Glock handgun, along with 17 bullets for his shotgun, according to Michael Lohnegger, the head of Styria province's criminal police office. This has led to questions about why he decided to stop shooting when he did. Detectives continue to trawl through a string of social media accounts attributed to the man - who has not been identified - to determine which are genuine. They can "say with certainty that, over the years, he developed a significant passion in general terms for the phenomenon of school shootings," Mr Lohnegger said. "He glorifies not just the acts in general, but also the perpetrators who carried out these acts." Read more from Sky News: Eleven people were also wounded in the shootings last week, after which the gunman also died by suicide. Two of those wounded have so far been released from hospital. Two remain in intensive care. Police also highlighted an ongoing issue with copycats making threats. In Graz alone, their threats have triggered around 30 police interventions in the past few days, the Styrian Police Department said. Austria's Chancellor Christian Stocker said gun laws in the country, which are among the more liberal in the EU, will be tightened in the wake of the attack.
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Austria gunman had become fascinated with school shootings, investigators say
VIENNA -- A former student who killed nine students and a teacher in Austria a week ago and then took his own life had become fascinated with school shootings in recent years, but his motive for the rampage remains unclear, investigators said Tuesday. Police have said the 21-year-old gunman planned last Tuesday's roughly seven-minute attack at the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school in Graz, which he left three years ago, down to the smallest detail. But much remains uncertain: among other things, why he chose that particular date and why he stopped shooting when he did. After his body was found, investigators found that the shooter still had 24 bullets in two magazines and another 18 loose bullets for his Glock handgun, as well as 17 bullets for his shotgun, said Michael Lohnegger, the head of Styria province's criminal police office. A few minutes before the shooting began, the gunman took a picture showing his legs and boots in a school bathroom and posted it to a social media account, Lohnegger said. Investigators are still working through some 30 other accounts attributed to him, created between 2019 and this year, to determine which are genuine. They can 'say with certainty that, over the years, he developed a significant passion in general terms for the phenomenon of school shootings,' Lohnegger said. 'He glorifies not just the acts in general, but also the perpetrators who carried out these acts." However, he said, police still have no information on his motive for the shooting. Eleven people were wounded last week. As of Tuesday, two had been released from hospitals but nine were still being treated, two of whom were still in intensive care, Lohnegger said. Their lives were not in danger. Chancellor Christian Stocker said Monday that Austria will tighten its gun laws, which are among the more liberal in the European Union. The gunman owned the two firearms he used legally.
