Austrians search for answers after mass school shooting
Austrian authorities are searching for answers to why a 21-year-old gunman shot dead 10 people in a rampage at his former high school before killing himself, one of the worst outbreaks of violence in the country's modern history.
Police said the man, armed with a shotgun and a pistol, acted alone. They are scouring his home and the internet for clues to why he opened fire on the school in Austria's second city of Graz on Tuesday, before shooting himself in a bathroom.
The incident was hard to properly take in, said a religious studies teacher at the school, Paul Nitsche, who left his classroom before the gunman tried to enter, and briefly saw him trying to shoot the lock off another door.
"This is something I couldn't even imagine before," he told national broadcaster ORF. "That's what the situation was like as I ran down the stairwell. I thought to myself: 'This wasn't real'."
Some Austrian media have said the young man, who has not been identified, apparently felt bullied, though police have yet to confirm this. Austrian authorities said the suspect never completed his studies at the school.
He left a farewell note that did not reveal the motive for the attack, police said, adding that a pipe bomb found at his home was not functional.
Franz Ruf, director general of public security, said investigations into the motive were moving swiftly.
"We don't want to speculate at this point," he told ORF on Tuesday night.
About 17 minutes elapsed between the first emergency calls received by police about shots being fired at the school and the scene being declared safe, Ruf said.
Austria has one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe, says the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project. The attack sparked calls for its gun laws to be tightened, including one from Graz's mayor.
Police said the guns used were in the suspect's possession legally, and Ruf said that while Austrian gun laws are strict, the case was being looked into. "If there are any loopholes, they need to be closed," he said.
Details of the attack have emerged slowly.
Austrian police said victims were found both outside and inside the school, on various floors. About a dozen people were injured in the attack, some seriously.
Austria declared three days of national mourning, with the shootings prompting a rare show of solidarity among often bitterly divided political parties. Parents of pupils and neighbours of the school struggled to make sense of the event.
Hundreds came together in Graz's main square on Tuesday evening to remember the victims. Others left flowers and lit candles outside the school. Dozens also queued to donate blood for the survivors.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Austrian authorities are searching for answers to why a 21-year-old gunman shot dead 10 people in a rampage at his former high school before killing himself, one of the worst outbreaks of violence in the country's modern history.
Police said the man, armed with a shotgun and a pistol, acted alone. They are scouring his home and the internet for clues to why he opened fire on the school in Austria's second city of Graz on Tuesday, before shooting himself in a bathroom.
The incident was hard to properly take in, said a religious studies teacher at the school, Paul Nitsche, who left his classroom before the gunman tried to enter, and briefly saw him trying to shoot the lock off another door.
"This is something I couldn't even imagine before," he told national broadcaster ORF. "That's what the situation was like as I ran down the stairwell. I thought to myself: 'This wasn't real'."
Some Austrian media have said the young man, who has not been identified, apparently felt bullied, though police have yet to confirm this. Austrian authorities said the suspect never completed his studies at the school.
He left a farewell note that did not reveal the motive for the attack, police said, adding that a pipe bomb found at his home was not functional.
Franz Ruf, director general of public security, said investigations into the motive were moving swiftly.
"We don't want to speculate at this point," he told ORF on Tuesday night.
About 17 minutes elapsed between the first emergency calls received by police about shots being fired at the school and the scene being declared safe, Ruf said.
Austria has one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe, says the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project. The attack sparked calls for its gun laws to be tightened, including one from Graz's mayor.
Police said the guns used were in the suspect's possession legally, and Ruf said that while Austrian gun laws are strict, the case was being looked into. "If there are any loopholes, they need to be closed," he said.
Details of the attack have emerged slowly.
Austrian police said victims were found both outside and inside the school, on various floors. About a dozen people were injured in the attack, some seriously.
Austria declared three days of national mourning, with the shootings prompting a rare show of solidarity among often bitterly divided political parties. Parents of pupils and neighbours of the school struggled to make sense of the event.
Hundreds came together in Graz's main square on Tuesday evening to remember the victims. Others left flowers and lit candles outside the school. Dozens also queued to donate blood for the survivors.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Austrian authorities are searching for answers to why a 21-year-old gunman shot dead 10 people in a rampage at his former high school before killing himself, one of the worst outbreaks of violence in the country's modern history.
Police said the man, armed with a shotgun and a pistol, acted alone. They are scouring his home and the internet for clues to why he opened fire on the school in Austria's second city of Graz on Tuesday, before shooting himself in a bathroom.
The incident was hard to properly take in, said a religious studies teacher at the school, Paul Nitsche, who left his classroom before the gunman tried to enter, and briefly saw him trying to shoot the lock off another door.
"This is something I couldn't even imagine before," he told national broadcaster ORF. "That's what the situation was like as I ran down the stairwell. I thought to myself: 'This wasn't real'."
Some Austrian media have said the young man, who has not been identified, apparently felt bullied, though police have yet to confirm this. Austrian authorities said the suspect never completed his studies at the school.
He left a farewell note that did not reveal the motive for the attack, police said, adding that a pipe bomb found at his home was not functional.
Franz Ruf, director general of public security, said investigations into the motive were moving swiftly.
"We don't want to speculate at this point," he told ORF on Tuesday night.
About 17 minutes elapsed between the first emergency calls received by police about shots being fired at the school and the scene being declared safe, Ruf said.
Austria has one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe, says the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project. The attack sparked calls for its gun laws to be tightened, including one from Graz's mayor.
Police said the guns used were in the suspect's possession legally, and Ruf said that while Austrian gun laws are strict, the case was being looked into. "If there are any loopholes, they need to be closed," he said.
Details of the attack have emerged slowly.
Austrian police said victims were found both outside and inside the school, on various floors. About a dozen people were injured in the attack, some seriously.
Austria declared three days of national mourning, with the shootings prompting a rare show of solidarity among often bitterly divided political parties. Parents of pupils and neighbours of the school struggled to make sense of the event.
Hundreds came together in Graz's main square on Tuesday evening to remember the victims. Others left flowers and lit candles outside the school. Dozens also queued to donate blood for the survivors.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Austrian authorities are searching for answers to why a 21-year-old gunman shot dead 10 people in a rampage at his former high school before killing himself, one of the worst outbreaks of violence in the country's modern history.
Police said the man, armed with a shotgun and a pistol, acted alone. They are scouring his home and the internet for clues to why he opened fire on the school in Austria's second city of Graz on Tuesday, before shooting himself in a bathroom.
The incident was hard to properly take in, said a religious studies teacher at the school, Paul Nitsche, who left his classroom before the gunman tried to enter, and briefly saw him trying to shoot the lock off another door.
"This is something I couldn't even imagine before," he told national broadcaster ORF. "That's what the situation was like as I ran down the stairwell. I thought to myself: 'This wasn't real'."
Some Austrian media have said the young man, who has not been identified, apparently felt bullied, though police have yet to confirm this. Austrian authorities said the suspect never completed his studies at the school.
He left a farewell note that did not reveal the motive for the attack, police said, adding that a pipe bomb found at his home was not functional.
Franz Ruf, director general of public security, said investigations into the motive were moving swiftly.
"We don't want to speculate at this point," he told ORF on Tuesday night.
About 17 minutes elapsed between the first emergency calls received by police about shots being fired at the school and the scene being declared safe, Ruf said.
Austria has one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe, says the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project. The attack sparked calls for its gun laws to be tightened, including one from Graz's mayor.
Police said the guns used were in the suspect's possession legally, and Ruf said that while Austrian gun laws are strict, the case was being looked into. "If there are any loopholes, they need to be closed," he said.
Details of the attack have emerged slowly.
Austrian police said victims were found both outside and inside the school, on various floors. About a dozen people were injured in the attack, some seriously.
Austria declared three days of national mourning, with the shootings prompting a rare show of solidarity among often bitterly divided political parties. Parents of pupils and neighbours of the school struggled to make sense of the event.
Hundreds came together in Graz's main square on Tuesday evening to remember the victims. Others left flowers and lit candles outside the school. Dozens also queued to donate blood for the survivors.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
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The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Austrian school shooter an online shooting game fan
The 21-year-old man who carried out Austria's worst school shooting was an introverted fan of online shooting games, criminal investigators say. The Austrian identified by local media as Arthur A killed 10 people on Tuesday before shooting himself at his former high school in the southern city of Graz, sending shockwaves through Austria, which declared three days of national mourning. Police found discarded plans for a bomb attack and a non-functional pipe bomb during a search of his home after the shooting in Graz, capital of the state of Styria. Police are still trying to establish a motive, but Michael Lohnegger, head of Styria's criminal investigation office, said on Thursday findings indicated the man was very introverted and that his great passion was online first-person shooting games. "He led an extremely withdrawn life; he didn't want to take part in activities in normal life outside in the real world, he preferred to withdraw into the virtual space," he told reporters. Lohnegger said the man's closest friend had been questioned and that the shooter had social contacts with fellow online gamers. Police are checking whether he had assistance from other people in the run-up to the crime. Police said the rampage at the school lasted about seven minutes and that the man shot himself in the head in a toilet about 10 minutes after beginning the attack. A few minutes earlier, the man entered the school with a rucksack, then went into a bathroom to prepare for his assault. Then he put on a weapon belt with a hunting knife, donned shooting glasses and a headset and armed himself with a Glock pistol and sawn-off shotgun, police said. He opened fire at random on people on the second and third floors of the school, shooting off the locks to the doors in one of the classrooms he attacked, according to Lohnegger. Most of the victims were apparently unknown to the shooter, but he did know one of the teachers who died, police said. It was unclear if that fact played a role in her death. The shooter acquired the guns legally in April and May after passing a psychological evaluation for a necessary permit, and had practised shooting at a gun club since March, police said. Authorities said the man failed to graduate at the school and Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung reported that after dropping out, he attempted to join the army but was deemed psychologically unsuitable due to his introversion. Local media reported the man, who lived with his mother on the outskirts of Graz, felt bullied at the school and wanted revenge. Police declined to confirm this. "There's no evidence from his private life that he ever expressed any anger or displeasure towards the school, pupils or teaching staff," Lohnegger said. The man left behind a farewell note and video in which he apologised to his family for his actions and thanked them, but they gave no indication of his motives, police said. The 21-year-old man who carried out Austria's worst school shooting was an introverted fan of online shooting games, criminal investigators say. The Austrian identified by local media as Arthur A killed 10 people on Tuesday before shooting himself at his former high school in the southern city of Graz, sending shockwaves through Austria, which declared three days of national mourning. Police found discarded plans for a bomb attack and a non-functional pipe bomb during a search of his home after the shooting in Graz, capital of the state of Styria. Police are still trying to establish a motive, but Michael Lohnegger, head of Styria's criminal investigation office, said on Thursday findings indicated the man was very introverted and that his great passion was online first-person shooting games. "He led an extremely withdrawn life; he didn't want to take part in activities in normal life outside in the real world, he preferred to withdraw into the virtual space," he told reporters. Lohnegger said the man's closest friend had been questioned and that the shooter had social contacts with fellow online gamers. Police are checking whether he had assistance from other people in the run-up to the crime. Police said the rampage at the school lasted about seven minutes and that the man shot himself in the head in a toilet about 10 minutes after beginning the attack. A few minutes earlier, the man entered the school with a rucksack, then went into a bathroom to prepare for his assault. Then he put on a weapon belt with a hunting knife, donned shooting glasses and a headset and armed himself with a Glock pistol and sawn-off shotgun, police said. He opened fire at random on people on the second and third floors of the school, shooting off the locks to the doors in one of the classrooms he attacked, according to Lohnegger. Most of the victims were apparently unknown to the shooter, but he did know one of the teachers who died, police said. It was unclear if that fact played a role in her death. The shooter acquired the guns legally in April and May after passing a psychological evaluation for a necessary permit, and had practised shooting at a gun club since March, police said. Authorities said the man failed to graduate at the school and Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung reported that after dropping out, he attempted to join the army but was deemed psychologically unsuitable due to his introversion. Local media reported the man, who lived with his mother on the outskirts of Graz, felt bullied at the school and wanted revenge. Police declined to confirm this. "There's no evidence from his private life that he ever expressed any anger or displeasure towards the school, pupils or teaching staff," Lohnegger said. The man left behind a farewell note and video in which he apologised to his family for his actions and thanked them, but they gave no indication of his motives, police said. The 21-year-old man who carried out Austria's worst school shooting was an introverted fan of online shooting games, criminal investigators say. The Austrian identified by local media as Arthur A killed 10 people on Tuesday before shooting himself at his former high school in the southern city of Graz, sending shockwaves through Austria, which declared three days of national mourning. Police found discarded plans for a bomb attack and a non-functional pipe bomb during a search of his home after the shooting in Graz, capital of the state of Styria. Police are still trying to establish a motive, but Michael Lohnegger, head of Styria's criminal investigation office, said on Thursday findings indicated the man was very introverted and that his great passion was online first-person shooting games. "He led an extremely withdrawn life; he didn't want to take part in activities in normal life outside in the real world, he preferred to withdraw into the virtual space," he told reporters. Lohnegger said the man's closest friend had been questioned and that the shooter had social contacts with fellow online gamers. Police are checking whether he had assistance from other people in the run-up to the crime. Police said the rampage at the school lasted about seven minutes and that the man shot himself in the head in a toilet about 10 minutes after beginning the attack. A few minutes earlier, the man entered the school with a rucksack, then went into a bathroom to prepare for his assault. Then he put on a weapon belt with a hunting knife, donned shooting glasses and a headset and armed himself with a Glock pistol and sawn-off shotgun, police said. He opened fire at random on people on the second and third floors of the school, shooting off the locks to the doors in one of the classrooms he attacked, according to Lohnegger. Most of the victims were apparently unknown to the shooter, but he did know one of the teachers who died, police said. It was unclear if that fact played a role in her death. The shooter acquired the guns legally in April and May after passing a psychological evaluation for a necessary permit, and had practised shooting at a gun club since March, police said. Authorities said the man failed to graduate at the school and Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung reported that after dropping out, he attempted to join the army but was deemed psychologically unsuitable due to his introversion. Local media reported the man, who lived with his mother on the outskirts of Graz, felt bullied at the school and wanted revenge. Police declined to confirm this. "There's no evidence from his private life that he ever expressed any anger or displeasure towards the school, pupils or teaching staff," Lohnegger said. The man left behind a farewell note and video in which he apologised to his family for his actions and thanked them, but they gave no indication of his motives, police said. The 21-year-old man who carried out Austria's worst school shooting was an introverted fan of online shooting games, criminal investigators say. The Austrian identified by local media as Arthur A killed 10 people on Tuesday before shooting himself at his former high school in the southern city of Graz, sending shockwaves through Austria, which declared three days of national mourning. Police found discarded plans for a bomb attack and a non-functional pipe bomb during a search of his home after the shooting in Graz, capital of the state of Styria. Police are still trying to establish a motive, but Michael Lohnegger, head of Styria's criminal investigation office, said on Thursday findings indicated the man was very introverted and that his great passion was online first-person shooting games. "He led an extremely withdrawn life; he didn't want to take part in activities in normal life outside in the real world, he preferred to withdraw into the virtual space," he told reporters. Lohnegger said the man's closest friend had been questioned and that the shooter had social contacts with fellow online gamers. Police are checking whether he had assistance from other people in the run-up to the crime. Police said the rampage at the school lasted about seven minutes and that the man shot himself in the head in a toilet about 10 minutes after beginning the attack. A few minutes earlier, the man entered the school with a rucksack, then went into a bathroom to prepare for his assault. Then he put on a weapon belt with a hunting knife, donned shooting glasses and a headset and armed himself with a Glock pistol and sawn-off shotgun, police said. He opened fire at random on people on the second and third floors of the school, shooting off the locks to the doors in one of the classrooms he attacked, according to Lohnegger. Most of the victims were apparently unknown to the shooter, but he did know one of the teachers who died, police said. It was unclear if that fact played a role in her death. The shooter acquired the guns legally in April and May after passing a psychological evaluation for a necessary permit, and had practised shooting at a gun club since March, police said. Authorities said the man failed to graduate at the school and Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung reported that after dropping out, he attempted to join the army but was deemed psychologically unsuitable due to his introversion. Local media reported the man, who lived with his mother on the outskirts of Graz, felt bullied at the school and wanted revenge. Police declined to confirm this. "There's no evidence from his private life that he ever expressed any anger or displeasure towards the school, pupils or teaching staff," Lohnegger said. The man left behind a farewell note and video in which he apologised to his family for his actions and thanked them, but they gave no indication of his motives, police said.
Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
Austrian school shooter an online shooting game fan
The 21-year-old man who carried out Austria's worst school shooting was an introverted fan of online shooting games, criminal investigators say. The Austrian identified by local media as Arthur A killed 10 people on Tuesday before shooting himself at his former high school in the southern city of Graz, sending shockwaves through Austria, which declared three days of national mourning. Police found discarded plans for a bomb attack and a non-functional pipe bomb during a search of his home after the shooting in Graz, capital of the state of Styria. Police are still trying to establish a motive, but Michael Lohnegger, head of Styria's criminal investigation office, said on Thursday findings indicated the man was very introverted and that his great passion was online first-person shooting games. "He led an extremely withdrawn life; he didn't want to take part in activities in normal life outside in the real world, he preferred to withdraw into the virtual space," he told reporters. Lohnegger said the man's closest friend had been questioned and that the shooter had social contacts with fellow online gamers. Police are checking whether he had assistance from other people in the run-up to the crime. Police said the rampage at the school lasted about seven minutes and that the man shot himself in the head in a toilet about 10 minutes after beginning the attack. A few minutes earlier, the man entered the school with a rucksack, then went into a bathroom to prepare for his assault. Then he put on a weapon belt with a hunting knife, donned shooting glasses and a headset and armed himself with a Glock pistol and sawn-off shotgun, police said. He opened fire at random on people on the second and third floors of the school, shooting off the locks to the doors in one of the classrooms he attacked, according to Lohnegger. Most of the victims were apparently unknown to the shooter, but he did know one of the teachers who died, police said. It was unclear if that fact played a role in her death. The shooter acquired the guns legally in April and May after passing a psychological evaluation for a necessary permit, and had practised shooting at a gun club since March, police said. Authorities said the man failed to graduate at the school and Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung reported that after dropping out, he attempted to join the army but was deemed psychologically unsuitable due to his introversion. Local media reported the man, who lived with his mother on the outskirts of Graz, felt bullied at the school and wanted revenge. Police declined to confirm this. "There's no evidence from his private life that he ever expressed any anger or displeasure towards the school, pupils or teaching staff," Lohnegger said. The man left behind a farewell note and video in which he apologised to his family for his actions and thanked them, but they gave no indication of his motives, police said.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Austria comes to a standstill to mourn shooting victims
Austria has come to a standstill to mourn victims of one of the worst outbreaks of violence in its modern history, as authorities search for clues to why a 21-year-old gunman shot dead 10 people at his former high school before turning the gun on himself. Police said the man had acted alone in Tuesday's rampage, armed with a shotgun and a pistol. They are scouring his home and the internet to find out why he opened fire at the school in Austria's second city of Graz, before shooting himself in a bathroom. Authorities have not identified the man, who they said was an Austrian citizen living with his mother in an apartment in a suburb of Graz. Local media named him as Arthur A, and that he studied IT at the school, which he left without graduating. The dead were commemorated with a minute's silence at 10am. Churches rang funeral bells, including St Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, where about 900 public transport vehicles halted for a minute. Public broadcaster ORF paused all radio and TV programs for one minute, with TV showing a message to say the country was mourning the victims. The incident was hard to take in, said a religious studies teacher at the school, Paul Nitsche, who left his classroom before the gunman tried to enter, and briefly saw him trying to shoot the lock off another door. "This is something I couldn't even imagine before," he told ORF. "That's what the situation was like as I ran down the stairwell. I thought to myself: 'This wasn't real.'" Police said the gunman had left a farewell note and video that did not reveal the motive for the attack and that a non-functional pipe bomb and a discarded plan for a bomb attack were found at his home. They did not give details of his messages. Some Austrian media said the young man apparently felt bullied, though police have not confirmed this. Ennio Resnik, a pupil at the school, said students and teachers needed time to come to terms with what had happened, and asked that they be left in peace for a few days. "It's surreal, you can't describe or really understand it," he said, speaking to reporters outside an events centre near the school where students were being offered counselling. Some of the students there cried; others held each other. Six girls and three boys, aged 14 to 17, were among the victims. All the dead barring one Polish youth were Austrian citizens, police said. A teacher died from her injuries, and 11 people injured are in a stable condition, they said. Franz Ruf, director general of public security, said investigations into the motive were moving swiftly. "We don't want to speculate at this point," he told ORF. Police were on the alert for potential copycat attacks and they had received a threat against another school in Graz late on Tuesday, he said. In Tuesday's attack, about 17 minutes elapsed between the first emergency calls received by police about shots being fired at the school and the scene being declared safe, Ruf said. Austria - though normally a safe and peaceful country with low levels of crime - has one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe, says the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project. The attack sparked calls, including from Graz's mayor, for gun laws to be tightened. Police said the guns used were in the suspect's possession legally, and Ruf said that while Austrian gun laws were strict, the case was being looked into. "If there are any loopholes, they need to be closed," he said. Details of the attack have emerged slowly. Police said victims were found both outside and inside the school, on various floors. Austria declared three days of mourning, with the shootings prompting a rare show of solidarity among often bitterly divided political parties. Austria has come to a standstill to mourn victims of one of the worst outbreaks of violence in its modern history, as authorities search for clues to why a 21-year-old gunman shot dead 10 people at his former high school before turning the gun on himself. Police said the man had acted alone in Tuesday's rampage, armed with a shotgun and a pistol. They are scouring his home and the internet to find out why he opened fire at the school in Austria's second city of Graz, before shooting himself in a bathroom. Authorities have not identified the man, who they said was an Austrian citizen living with his mother in an apartment in a suburb of Graz. Local media named him as Arthur A, and that he studied IT at the school, which he left without graduating. The dead were commemorated with a minute's silence at 10am. Churches rang funeral bells, including St Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, where about 900 public transport vehicles halted for a minute. Public broadcaster ORF paused all radio and TV programs for one minute, with TV showing a message to say the country was mourning the victims. The incident was hard to take in, said a religious studies teacher at the school, Paul Nitsche, who left his classroom before the gunman tried to enter, and briefly saw him trying to shoot the lock off another door. "This is something I couldn't even imagine before," he told ORF. "That's what the situation was like as I ran down the stairwell. I thought to myself: 'This wasn't real.'" Police said the gunman had left a farewell note and video that did not reveal the motive for the attack and that a non-functional pipe bomb and a discarded plan for a bomb attack were found at his home. They did not give details of his messages. Some Austrian media said the young man apparently felt bullied, though police have not confirmed this. Ennio Resnik, a pupil at the school, said students and teachers needed time to come to terms with what had happened, and asked that they be left in peace for a few days. "It's surreal, you can't describe or really understand it," he said, speaking to reporters outside an events centre near the school where students were being offered counselling. Some of the students there cried; others held each other. Six girls and three boys, aged 14 to 17, were among the victims. All the dead barring one Polish youth were Austrian citizens, police said. A teacher died from her injuries, and 11 people injured are in a stable condition, they said. Franz Ruf, director general of public security, said investigations into the motive were moving swiftly. "We don't want to speculate at this point," he told ORF. Police were on the alert for potential copycat attacks and they had received a threat against another school in Graz late on Tuesday, he said. In Tuesday's attack, about 17 minutes elapsed between the first emergency calls received by police about shots being fired at the school and the scene being declared safe, Ruf said. Austria - though normally a safe and peaceful country with low levels of crime - has one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe, says the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project. The attack sparked calls, including from Graz's mayor, for gun laws to be tightened. Police said the guns used were in the suspect's possession legally, and Ruf said that while Austrian gun laws were strict, the case was being looked into. "If there are any loopholes, they need to be closed," he said. Details of the attack have emerged slowly. Police said victims were found both outside and inside the school, on various floors. Austria declared three days of mourning, with the shootings prompting a rare show of solidarity among often bitterly divided political parties. Austria has come to a standstill to mourn victims of one of the worst outbreaks of violence in its modern history, as authorities search for clues to why a 21-year-old gunman shot dead 10 people at his former high school before turning the gun on himself. Police said the man had acted alone in Tuesday's rampage, armed with a shotgun and a pistol. They are scouring his home and the internet to find out why he opened fire at the school in Austria's second city of Graz, before shooting himself in a bathroom. Authorities have not identified the man, who they said was an Austrian citizen living with his mother in an apartment in a suburb of Graz. Local media named him as Arthur A, and that he studied IT at the school, which he left without graduating. The dead were commemorated with a minute's silence at 10am. Churches rang funeral bells, including St Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, where about 900 public transport vehicles halted for a minute. Public broadcaster ORF paused all radio and TV programs for one minute, with TV showing a message to say the country was mourning the victims. The incident was hard to take in, said a religious studies teacher at the school, Paul Nitsche, who left his classroom before the gunman tried to enter, and briefly saw him trying to shoot the lock off another door. "This is something I couldn't even imagine before," he told ORF. "That's what the situation was like as I ran down the stairwell. I thought to myself: 'This wasn't real.'" Police said the gunman had left a farewell note and video that did not reveal the motive for the attack and that a non-functional pipe bomb and a discarded plan for a bomb attack were found at his home. They did not give details of his messages. Some Austrian media said the young man apparently felt bullied, though police have not confirmed this. Ennio Resnik, a pupil at the school, said students and teachers needed time to come to terms with what had happened, and asked that they be left in peace for a few days. "It's surreal, you can't describe or really understand it," he said, speaking to reporters outside an events centre near the school where students were being offered counselling. Some of the students there cried; others held each other. Six girls and three boys, aged 14 to 17, were among the victims. All the dead barring one Polish youth were Austrian citizens, police said. A teacher died from her injuries, and 11 people injured are in a stable condition, they said. Franz Ruf, director general of public security, said investigations into the motive were moving swiftly. "We don't want to speculate at this point," he told ORF. Police were on the alert for potential copycat attacks and they had received a threat against another school in Graz late on Tuesday, he said. In Tuesday's attack, about 17 minutes elapsed between the first emergency calls received by police about shots being fired at the school and the scene being declared safe, Ruf said. Austria - though normally a safe and peaceful country with low levels of crime - has one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe, says the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project. The attack sparked calls, including from Graz's mayor, for gun laws to be tightened. Police said the guns used were in the suspect's possession legally, and Ruf said that while Austrian gun laws were strict, the case was being looked into. "If there are any loopholes, they need to be closed," he said. Details of the attack have emerged slowly. Police said victims were found both outside and inside the school, on various floors. Austria declared three days of mourning, with the shootings prompting a rare show of solidarity among often bitterly divided political parties. Austria has come to a standstill to mourn victims of one of the worst outbreaks of violence in its modern history, as authorities search for clues to why a 21-year-old gunman shot dead 10 people at his former high school before turning the gun on himself. Police said the man had acted alone in Tuesday's rampage, armed with a shotgun and a pistol. They are scouring his home and the internet to find out why he opened fire at the school in Austria's second city of Graz, before shooting himself in a bathroom. Authorities have not identified the man, who they said was an Austrian citizen living with his mother in an apartment in a suburb of Graz. Local media named him as Arthur A, and that he studied IT at the school, which he left without graduating. The dead were commemorated with a minute's silence at 10am. Churches rang funeral bells, including St Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, where about 900 public transport vehicles halted for a minute. Public broadcaster ORF paused all radio and TV programs for one minute, with TV showing a message to say the country was mourning the victims. The incident was hard to take in, said a religious studies teacher at the school, Paul Nitsche, who left his classroom before the gunman tried to enter, and briefly saw him trying to shoot the lock off another door. "This is something I couldn't even imagine before," he told ORF. "That's what the situation was like as I ran down the stairwell. I thought to myself: 'This wasn't real.'" Police said the gunman had left a farewell note and video that did not reveal the motive for the attack and that a non-functional pipe bomb and a discarded plan for a bomb attack were found at his home. They did not give details of his messages. Some Austrian media said the young man apparently felt bullied, though police have not confirmed this. Ennio Resnik, a pupil at the school, said students and teachers needed time to come to terms with what had happened, and asked that they be left in peace for a few days. "It's surreal, you can't describe or really understand it," he said, speaking to reporters outside an events centre near the school where students were being offered counselling. Some of the students there cried; others held each other. Six girls and three boys, aged 14 to 17, were among the victims. All the dead barring one Polish youth were Austrian citizens, police said. A teacher died from her injuries, and 11 people injured are in a stable condition, they said. Franz Ruf, director general of public security, said investigations into the motive were moving swiftly. "We don't want to speculate at this point," he told ORF. Police were on the alert for potential copycat attacks and they had received a threat against another school in Graz late on Tuesday, he said. In Tuesday's attack, about 17 minutes elapsed between the first emergency calls received by police about shots being fired at the school and the scene being declared safe, Ruf said. Austria - though normally a safe and peaceful country with low levels of crime - has one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe, says the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project. The attack sparked calls, including from Graz's mayor, for gun laws to be tightened. Police said the guns used were in the suspect's possession legally, and Ruf said that while Austrian gun laws were strict, the case was being looked into. "If there are any loopholes, they need to be closed," he said. Details of the attack have emerged slowly. Police said victims were found both outside and inside the school, on various floors. Austria declared three days of mourning, with the shootings prompting a rare show of solidarity among often bitterly divided political parties.
