Ex-pupil kills 10 at Austrian school
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said six of those killed at the school on Tuesday were female and three were male. Graz hospital later confirmed the death of a 10th person.
Karnersaid another dozen people had been injured but gave no further details about the victims. Austrian media said most were pupils.
Police said they believed the 21-year-old Austrian shooter, found dead in a bathroom, had been operating alone when he entered the school with two guns and opened fire. His motive remained unclear.
Chancellor Christian Stocker called the shooting a "dark day in the history of our country".
"There are no words for the pain and grief that we all - all of Austria - are feeling right now."
Stocker travelled to Graz where, at a news conference alongside officials including Karner, he announced three days of national mourning. A minute's silence was set for 10am on Wednesday (local time).
The Kronen-Zeitung newspaper said police had found a farewell note from the shooter at his home. The paper did not say what it contained and police were not immediately available to comment.
More than 300 police were called in after shots were heard about 10am at the school for pupils aged 15 and above. Ambulances also arrived within minutes as the premises were cordoned off.
The Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper said in an unconfirmed report that the suspect, armed with a pistol and a shotgun, had opened fire on pupils in two classrooms, one of which had once been his own. It said he had been a victim of bullying.
Police said investigations into a motive were continuing.
Julia Ebner, an extremism expert at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue think-tank, said the incident appeared to be the worst school shooting in Austria's post-war history.
Foreign leaders including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed shock.
Austria has one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe, with an estimated 30 firearms per 100 people, according to the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project.
Four people were killed and 22 injured when a convicted jihadist went on a shooting spree in the centre of Vienna in 2020.
In November 1997, a 36-year-old mechanic shot dead six people in the town of Mauterndorf before killing himself.
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Otago Daily Times
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NZ Herald
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NZ Herald
5 days ago
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Staff could reportedly be heard in CCTV footage saying Judd was 'soaked in blood'. 'He asked for napkins and water to clean the blood,' one staff member told the publication. 'I didn't want any trouble so we let him come inside and buy whatever he wants.' It comes after claims emerged on Wednesday that the accused killer also dined out on fast food just minutes after the crime. Witnesses said they saw a man 'covered in blood' ordering McDonald's about 2km from where the victims were killed. The man was accompanied by two German shepherds wearing bandannas and 'stood at the food pick up counter wiping the blood on his hands with tissues,' according to one diner. An employee at McDonald's said the man ordered a Coke Zero and two medium cheeseburgers without pickles. 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'I beg your pardon, yeah, I'm all good,' he said. Judd was wearing a dark-coloured T-shirt and sported a short beard and hair spiked up in a faux-hawk. At one point, he smiled and winked at members of the media. The court was told police were seeking an extra 10 weeks to prepare a brief of evidence in the case. Police allege the accused was known to the couple and that one of the victims lived in the unit. Dog dispute could hold key An argument over dogs may have caused friction between Gunn and his alleged murderer. Neighbours had reportedly noted tension between Judd, who was known to many locals, and Gunn over his beloved German shepherd, which rarely left his side. Judd himself owns two German shepherds and was often sighted around the area with the dogs in tow, including on the evening Gunn and Georgopoulos were killed. According to the Herald Sun, Gunn and Judd may have been involved in an argument about the sale and ownership of other dogs. 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Georgopoulos had been her mother's primary carer, with Petty suffering from health issues. Mother-to-be Athena Georgopoulos was allegedly murdered. In a heartbreaking post on social media, Petty paid tribute to her daughter and future granddaughter, who was due in just four months. 'My dear, you left life so unfairly. I can't yet believe that you were so happy on your last days,' she wrote in Greek on Facebook. 'We dreamed together about my grandchildren that would bring to your heart's desire and suddenly everything went out in one night, cutting the thread of your life and my granddaughter who would've been born in four months. 'Even if they separated us I will always love you forever, welcome my daughter to the life of the angels.' Neighbours shocked Half a dozen homes remained cordoned off on Adrienne Cres in Mount Waverley on Wednesday morning as neighbours expressed their shock at what had occurred. Dimmi, a woman who knew Georgopoulos and her mother, said she was devastated to read about the news on Facebook. 'I came back and said to my husband, some murder happened here. On Monday when it happened, I went to bed around 12 o'clock and didn't hear anything,' Dimmi told She said Georgopoulos kept to herself, so much so that she was not aware the pregnant mother was living a few doors down. 'I didn't even know she lives there. I'm Greek too, so I was so close to her mother, but didn't see her for about 10 months. 'I've been here for 25 years, I walk along this street all the time but never saw her. 'I'm going to ring her mum, I'm in shock now. I don't know much about the girl who passed away, but I knew her when she was young. They used to come to my house all the time. 'She was a lovely girl. A very nice girl. I'm so, so sad.' Another neighbour, Mary, said she too had also never seen Georgopoulos despite living several doors up the road. 'Everybody is shocked here. It's amazing that it's just happened so close. I've spoken to others in the street and they said they didn't hear anything.' A man walking his dogs on Adrienne Cres on Wednesday morning said locals had reported some trouble from the apartment where the couple died. 'I've lived here for 30 years and we've never had problems.' Several officers remained at the scene as neighbours woke to letters in the mail from Victoria police. 'Recently there was a serious incident in your local area,' the letter read. 'Monash police are committed to community safety and in support we provide this letter to offer additional crime prevention assistance and reassurance. 'If you require any further assistance with welfare support services, please don't hesitate to make contact.' Inside the tiny unit, officers allegedly found Gunn's mutilated body next to the body of Georgopoulos. The alleged motive remains unclear, though reports suggest drugs may have been a factor. Detectives said they are not seeking anyone else in relation to the killings and confirmed a weapon, although not a firearm, was used in the alleged murder. Graffiti was visible on the couple's home with one message reading 'Karma is not a menu' and references to veganism, such as 'meat is murder'. "Karma has no menu" was written on the home where the bodies were found. Photo / 7NEWS Other phrases were also visible, including 'betrayal, unpredictable, inevitable'. 'Police are aware of graffiti on the property in Mount Waverley where the bodies of two people were located last night,' a police spokesperson said. 'Homicide squad detectives will work to determine if the graffiti is relevant to the murder investigation.' Speaking from the scene on Tuesday morning, Detective Inspector Dean Thomas of the Melbourne homicide squad said the man in custody was known to the pair. 'We believe that there is a link between our suspect and the address,' Thomas said. 'Police were called at about 9.20pm in relation to a welfare check at the address based on some yelling that was heard from the property. 'A second call was then made that suggested it was perhaps more urgent than what the first call was and police arrived minutes later, and obviously they found the male and female inside the premises deceased. 'We believe he [the suspect] may be of no fixed place of abode. 'It appears to be targeted and our suspect is known to the address.' Police are appealing for witnesses or anybody with information or footage to come forward.
