Austria reels from ‘national tragedy' after gunman kills nine at former school

Irish Examiner

a day ago

Austria will hold three days of national mourning after a 21-year-old man shot dead eight pupils and an adult at his old high school and injured a dozen more before turning his weapon on himself.
Visibly moved at a media conference, the chancellor, Christian Stocker, announced a minute's silence for 10am on Wednesday to start the period of mourning for the victims of Austria's deadliest postwar mass shooting.
The attack on Tuesday morning in the southern city of Graz was 'a dark day in the history of our country', an act of 'unimaginable violence' and 'a national tragedy that has shocked us all', he said.
The interior minister, Gerhard Karner, said six of the shooter's victims were female and three male. Twelve people had been injured, he said, some seriously. Karner said the presumed shooter, a former pupil at the school who had left before graduating, had acted alone and was among the dead.
The mayor of Graz, Elke Kahr, had earlier said that an adult — thought to be a teacher at the school — was among the fatalities.
The gunman opened fire in two classrooms, one of which had once been his own, soon after 10am local time (9am Irish time). Police gave the all-clear about 90 minutes later, after a major security operation involving a special forces unit and several helicopters.
A police spokesperson told reporters the suspect was a 21-year-old Austrian national who was armed with two weapons that he owned legally, and had no criminal record. His name has not been released.
'Everything else, and many other things have been speculated about at this point in time, is simply speculation,' the interior minister told reporters, adding that no further details would be announced because of the active police investigation.
'Out of consideration for family members, only reliable information will be released to the public,' Mr Karner said. He said nothing concrete could yet be said about the possible motive of the gunman.
Citing police sources, the Kurier and Salzburger Nachrichten newspapers said the gunman was carrying two weapons, a pistol and a shotgun, one of them only recently acquired. Police said he had been found dead in a school bathroom.
Local hospitals said they were treating 12 people, including two adults and five teenagers, two of whom were in a 'very critical condition' and five with 'serious injuries'. All underwent emergency surgery.
Pupils and staff were evacuated from the 400-pupil BORG Dreierschützengasse high school in Graz and the building was thoroughly searched. Students and families were taken care of by crisis intervention teams at a nearby sports hall.
The area around the school was cordoned off and public transport was diverted, with all streets around the school guarded by armed police. A Red Cross spokesperson said 160 responders attended the scene, including emergency doctors and paramedics.
Mr Stocker said earlier in a statement there were 'no words for the pain and grief all of us in Austria are feeling'. He added: 'Today it's all about compassion. And about being there for one another. In these difficult times, humanity is our strongest force.'
Austria's president, Alexander Van der Bellen, said: 'What happened today … strikes our country at the heart. These were young people who had their whole lives ahead of them. A teacher who accompanied them on their journey.'
He said nothing could ease the pain felt by 'the parents, grandparents, siblings and friends of the murdered people at this moment', he said, adding that the country 'stood together, to withstand this pain, together'.
Austrians own an estimated 30 firearms for every 100 people, making the country one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe.
Machine guns and pump-action guns are banned, but revolvers, pistols and semi-automatic weapons are allowed with official authorisation, and rifles and shotguns with a firearms licence, a valid hunting licence or for members of shooting clubs.
Mass shootings, however, are rare. In 2020, four people were killed and 22 injured in a gun attack by a convicted jihadist in Vienna. In November 1997, a 36-year-old mechanic shot dead six people in the town of Mauterndorf before killing himself.
'Horrific act of violence'
Ms Kahr, the Graz mayor, described the shooting as a 'terrible tragedy'.
The Vienna mayor, Michael Ludwig, urged Austrians to 'stand together as a society. Hate and violence must never gain the upper hand. Our response to this must be an even stronger commitment to solidarity and respect.'
Several European leaders expressed their condolences on Tuesday. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was "shocked and appalled" by the shooting, adding: "Such a horrific act of violence at a school is unconscionable".
"My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, the entire school community and the people of Austria."
The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said she was 'deeply shocked', adding that 'every child should feel safe at school and be able to learn free from fear and violence'.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said schools should be 'symbols of youth, hope and the future', adding: 'It's hard to bear when schools become places of death and violence.'
Germany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz, posted: 'Horrific news from Graz. Our thoughts are with our Austrian friends and neighbours and we mourn with them.' Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orbán, said his thoughts were with victims' families.
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