Austria school shooting: 'Five dead' and others injured in attack in city of Graz
At least five people have been killed in an attack at a school in the Austrian city of Graz, according to reports.
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Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Former student kills 10 in Austrian high school shooting
Austria will observe a national day of mourning and a minute's silence on Wednesday after a former student shot dead 10 people at a high school in an unprecedented case of gun violence that stunned the Alpine country. The 21-year-old shooter acted alone and took his own life in the toilet at Dreierschuetzengasse high school in Graz, police said. Investigators found a good-bye letter addressed to the suspect's parents during a search of his residence, but it included no clues about his motive. After arriving in Graz, Chancellor Christian Stocker described the shooting as "a national tragedy". "This is a dark day," he told reporters Tuesday as he announced three days of national mourning. A minute's silence will be observed across the country at 10:00 am (0800 GMT) on Wednesday. Nine victims were immediately confirmed and a woman died later in hospital from her wounds, an official said. A 17-year-old French student was among the victims, his father told AFP. Twelve people suffered serious injuries and police said support was being provided to witnesses and those affected. According to police, the alleged perpetrator was an Austrian from the Graz region who used two legally owned weapons. He was a former student at the high school, but never finished his studies there, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told reporters. - 'Shocked' - Bouquets of flowers and candles were placed in front of the school, which has around 400 students aged between 14 and 18, and nearby businesses closed. One resident, originally from the United States, whose children attend a nearby elementary school and kindergarten, told AFP she was "shocked" and it was "a lot to take in". "In my home country it happens more often as we know, but that it happens here is unheard of," she said, declining to give her name. "Graz is a safe city," said Roman Klug, 55, who said he lived close to the school that he said was "known for its openness and diversity". - Rare attack - Condolences poured in from across Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron said that "France extends its deepest sympathy to the victims' families, the Austrian people and Chancellor Stocker during this difficult time". German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said "our thoughts are with our Austrian friends and neighbours" following the "horrific" shooting. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban offered his "deepest condolences". European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said "the news from Graz touches my heart", while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her sympathies to the families of the victims following the "tragic news". Attacks in public are rare in Austria, which is home to almost 9.2 million people and ranks among the 10 safest countries in the world, according to the Global Peace Index. While still less common than in the United States, Europe has been shaken by attacks at schools and universities in recent years that were not connected to terrorism. In France, a teaching assistant was killed in a knife attack at a school in the eastern town of Nogent on Tuesday. In January, an 18-year-old man fatally stabbed a high school student and a teacher at a school in northeastern Slovakia. And in December, a 19-year-old man stabbed a seven-year-old student to death and injured several others at a primary school in Zagreb, Croatia. In December 2023, an attack by a student at a university in central Prague left 14 people dead and 25 injured. A few months earlier, a 13-year-old gunned down nine fellow classmates and a security guard at an elementary school in Belgrade. jza-bg-kym/dhw/cms
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Former student kills 10 in Austrian high school shooting
Austria will observe a national day of mourning and a minute's silence on Wednesday after a former student shot dead 10 people at a high school in an unprecedented case of gun violence that stunned the Alpine country. The 21-year-old shooter acted alone and took his own life in the toilet at Dreierschuetzengasse high school in Graz, police said. Investigators found a good-bye letter addressed to the suspect's parents during a search of his residence, but it included no clues about his motive. After arriving in Graz, Chancellor Christian Stocker described the shooting as "a national tragedy". "This is a dark day," he told reporters Tuesday as he announced three days of national mourning. A minute's silence will be observed across the country at 10:00 am (0800 GMT) on Wednesday. Nine victims were immediately confirmed and a woman died later in hospital from her wounds, an official said. A 17-year-old French student was among the victims, his father told AFP. Twelve people suffered serious injuries and police said support was being provided to witnesses and those affected. According to police, the alleged perpetrator was an Austrian from the Graz region who used two legally owned weapons. He was a former student at the high school, but never finished his studies there, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told reporters. - 'Shocked' - Bouquets of flowers and candles were placed in front of the school, which has around 400 students aged between 14 and 18, and nearby businesses closed. One resident, originally from the United States, whose children attend a nearby elementary school and kindergarten, told AFP she was "shocked" and it was "a lot to take in". "In my home country it happens more often as we know, but that it happens here is unheard of," she said, declining to give her name. "Graz is a safe city," said Roman Klug, 55, who said he lived close to the school that he said was "known for its openness and diversity". - Rare attack - Condolences poured in from across Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron said that "France extends its deepest sympathy to the victims' families, the Austrian people and Chancellor Stocker during this difficult time". German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said "our thoughts are with our Austrian friends and neighbours" following the "horrific" shooting. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban offered his "deepest condolences". European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said "the news from Graz touches my heart", while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her sympathies to the families of the victims following the "tragic news". Attacks in public are rare in Austria, which is home to almost 9.2 million people and ranks among the 10 safest countries in the world, according to the Global Peace Index. While still less common than in the United States, Europe has been shaken by attacks at schools and universities in recent years that were not connected to terrorism. In France, a teaching assistant was killed in a knife attack at a school in the eastern town of Nogent on Tuesday. In January, an 18-year-old man fatally stabbed a high school student and a teacher at a school in northeastern Slovakia. And in December, a 19-year-old man stabbed a seven-year-old student to death and injured several others at a primary school in Zagreb, Croatia. In December 2023, an attack by a student at a university in central Prague left 14 people dead and 25 injured. A few months earlier, a 13-year-old gunned down nine fellow classmates and a security guard at an elementary school in Belgrade. jza-bg-kym/dhw/cms
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First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
Austrians hold vigil in Graz after 10 die in school shooting
In the hushed stillness of the evening, thousands gathered, some alone, others holding onto friends' arms or shoulders. They lit candles, shed tears, and stood quietly in prayer or deep reflection read more People light candles at a makeshift memorial site after several people died in a school shooting, on June 10, 2025 in Graz, southeastern Austria. AFP People in the Austrian city of Graz held a candlelight vigil for the victims of a school shooting that killed 10 people, including the gunman who took his own life following the attack. The attack is the deadliest gun violence the country has seen in recent years. Police said that the 21-year-old gunman, a former student of the Dreierschützengasse secondary school, the site of the mishap, killed himself in a bathroom shortly after going on a rampage. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said that nine people were confirmed dead, while 12 others were seriously injured in the shooting. Seven of the victims were female and three were male, authorities said without specifying their ages. A 17-year-old French student was among the victims, his father told AFP. Candles, cries and contemplation The vigil was held on Tuesday night at the city square, where a number of residents, mostly young, showed up to mourn the deaths of the victims. In the hushed stillness of the evening, thousands gathered, some alone, others holding onto friends' arms or shoulders. They lit candles, shed tears, and stood quietly in prayer or deep reflection. Felix Platzer, a passerby at the vigil, told Reuters, 'When you hear about it, you have so much sympathy for the people, maybe you could have known someone.' 'This is an example of solidarity, and you grieve together and together it is easier to cope,' he added. Austria has declared three days of mourning, with a nationwide minute of silence scheduled for Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. local time to honour the victims. Flags at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, home to the office of President Alexander Van der Bellen, will be flown at half-staff. Who was the gunman? The suspect acted alone and took his own life in the school toilet, police said. The police said late Tuesday they had found a good-bye letter addressed to his parents during a search of his residence, but that it included no clues about his motive. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to police, the alleged perpetrator was an Austrian from the Graz region, who used two legally owned weapons. He was a former student at the high school, but had not finished his studies. With inputs from agencies
