Austria gunman had 'significant passion' for school shootings, police say
Police say the former pupil planned last Tuesday's roughly seven-minute attack 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.
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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."
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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Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
What REALLY happened the day a madman tried to kidnap Princess Anne... by hero PC shot three times as he tried to save her
After their one brief meeting left him perilously close to death, Jim Beaton might be forgiven for never wanting to set eyes on Ian Ball again. Detailed to protect a royal life with his own, the then Inspector Beaton almost made the ultimate sacrifice when the deranged gunman opened fire during an audacious bid to kidnap Princess Anne for a £3million ransom. Ball, a 'dangerous' loner armed with two guns, had stalked the princess late one night in March 1974 before ambushing her limousine in The Mall by pulling up in front of it in his white Ford Escort. As the kidnap plot quickly descended into bloody violence, Scots–born Mr Beaton was shot three times at point-blank range by Ball as he fought to defend the Queen's 23-year-old daughter and her now ex–husband Captain Mark Phillips. In the ensuing mayhem, the kidnapper also shot Anne's chauffeur, a passing police officer and a journalist who had been following the princess's car, before a passing ex–boxer hit him on the head and led Anne to safety. Bleeding heavily, Inspector Beaton staggered from the car before collapsing unconscious on the pavement. He was taken to hospital, while Ball was arrested and later detained 'without limit of time' under the Mental Health Act, after admitting attempted kidnap and two attempted murders. Many assumed, given the gravity of his crimes, that Ball would never be released. But, as the Mail revealed earlier this month, the 'dangerous' loner is back on the streets and free to roam – unrepentant and still obsessed. Released quietly on probation six years ago from Broadmoor secure mental hospital, Ball remains fixated on that night in The Mall and is campaigning to clear his name, claiming he is 'an innocent, sane man'. Few innocent, sane men have committed such senseless bloodshed, however. And Mr Beaton may rightly feel uneasy at the thought the man who could so easily have ended his life more than 50 years ago might turn up on his doorstep without warning. But the retired officer, who was awarded the highest civilian honour for bravery – the George Cross – for his fearless actions that night, insists he bears his assailant no ill will. Indeed, in an extraordinary act of forgiveness, Mr Beaton told the Mail in an exclusive interview that he was prepared to meet Ball if the man who once tried to kill him was willing. Although Ball, now 77, has recently made wild claims that he was wrongfully jailed by the 'upper classes' as part of some bizarre conspiracy masterminded by the late Queen Elizabeth, Mr Beaton insisted he did not believe Ball now posed any kind of threat. 'He is too old and whatever it was will have long worn off,' he said. 'He has done a fair bit of time, and I would not begrudge him if he turned up and wanted a conversation.' It would prove an interesting conversation. When approached by the Mail, Ball insisted it would be a 'waste of time' to apologise to the men he shot, and said of Anne, who had two guns waved in her face: 'She wasn't bothered on the night... I didn't scare her. I was more scared than she was.' He has already self–published a disturbing book about the events of 1974 and visits old haunts in a bid to prove his innocence, despite having pleaded guilty in court. He claims the attack was a 'hoax gone wrong' and uses his Facebook and X accounts, on which he describes himself as 'a complete fruit cake', to post messages seeking help in appealing his conviction and claiming compensation. A Ministry of Justice spokesman has confirmed restricted patients 'can be recalled to hospital if their mental health deteriorates such that the risk they pose becomes unmanageable in the community'. Speaking at his neat bungalow in a quiet cul–de–sac in the Yorkshire market town of Beverley where he has lived for many years, Mr Beaton also disclosed that he was made aware of Ball's new–found freedom around the time of his release. He said: 'They actually told me before he got out and I was surprised he was still in jail. It surprised me they told me as well, because knowing the system I didn't think they would bother.' Still spruce at 82, though frailer, his once thick black hair now a shock of white, Mr Beaton has lost little of the sharpness of mind that helped him survive that fateful night. For years, he has rarely given interviews 'because I am too old and it is too ancient history'. But he admits he is still haunted by his memories. 'It never goes away, although bits fade and may get twisted,' he added in his soft Aberdeenshire brogue. His wish to blot out the drama of that night is understandable. It began routinely as the royal couple returned to Buckingham Palace from an official engagement around 8pm on March 20, 1974. Inspector Beaton, a crack shot who had been drafted into the Royalty Protection Squad, served as Anne's personal protection officer following her marriage in November 1973 and was travelling in the front passenger seat. Born in St Fergus, Aberdeenshire, the former Peterhead Academy pupil had joined the Metropolitan Police in 1962 after realising he 'was too short for the Scottish police'. He said: 'Back then in Aberdeen, if you went to university, usually you were a farmer's son full of brains dying to be the next professor of the world and discovered wine, women and song and became a teacher. 'If you were over 5ft 10ins you joined the local police force. But I was only 5ft 9ins tall. So I thought if I went down to London they would take me – and they did.' Although an experienced officer with a wife (ironically called Anne) and two young daughters, little could prepare him for the crazed gunman who suddenly intercepted them opposite Clarence House determined to execute his warped kidnap plan. Incredibly, Ball had established the princess's whereabouts simply by ringing up the Palace (an unthinkable security breach now) and was armed with two pistols, a .38 calibre and a .22, which he bought legally on a trip to Spain and brought back in his luggage through Heathrow's 'nothing to declare' lane. Ball had everything mapped out, from learning to fly and obtaining a fake driving licence to renting a house near the home of the newlyweds in Sandhurst, Berkshire. He spent days stalking the princess's movements. After kidnapping her, he planned to hold her there before piloting a private plane to Zurich with the £3million ransom in used £5 notes 'in 30 unlocked suitcases' and the princess in handcuffs – before sending her back on arrival. But things quickly fell apart when Ball told Anne he was going to kidnap her and ordered her out of the car, to which the princess is alleged to have replied: 'Not bloody likely!' By then, Inspector Beaton had already emerged from the front of the car and drawn his gun prompting Ball to shoot him in the shoulder. The bodyguard's gun then jammed before he climbed, wounded, into the back of the car to shield the princess. He later told a BBC interviewer: 'Ball was pointing his gun at Princess Anne and he said 'drop your gun or I'll shoot her', or something to that effect. He fired as my hand went up and the bullet went into my hand. We kicked the back door open and there was Ian Ball standing there and he shot me in the abdomen. I struggled out of the car, half-dazed – went round the front of the car and laid down on the pavement. I remember thinking, 'I've got a nice new suit on' so I lay down very gently.' When Ball brandished his guns at Anne and told her to get out, she remained remarkably calm telling him: 'Go away, you silly man.' Ball also shot chauffeur Alex Callender, passing police constable Michael Hills and journalist Brian McConnell, who had been following the couple. Only the chance arrival of 6ft 2in, 17–stone former heavyweight boxer Ronnie 'The Geezer' Russell in a cleaning firm van turned the tide. Thinking, he said later, 'that's a liberty – he needs sorting', Russell subdued Ball with several massive punches as police arrived and bundled him to the floor. Ball then – as now – displayed no remorse, telling detectives who interviewed him: 'They were getting in my way so I had to shoot them. Well, the police, that's their job. They expect to be shot. 'I took a chance of getting shot – so why shouldn't they?' After his guilty pleas at the Old Bailey two months later, John Hazan, QC, defending, said he was 'mad', and had been 'led by a voice either of his late father or God'. He would spend the next 45 years in Rampton and Broadmoor secure mental hospitals. Thankfully, all those who were injured recovered to resume their careers. Inspector Beaton was famously visited in hospital by a grateful Princess Anne. He recalled: 'When Princess Anne came to see me in hospital it was quite funny because the staff said, 'Come on you must put something on, cover up your chest and all the wounds and things'. 'And I said, 'Oh stuff it'. We just said, you know, we're pleased that we're all sort of alive and kicking, so to speak.' Reflecting on his former role, he said, policing the royals changed overnight following Ball's kidnap attempt. 'I had nothing,' he said. 'There was no back-up vehicle. 'The training was non-existent; but then again, we thought nothing would happen. They are highly specialised now, highly trained.' Nevertheless, Mr Beaton fears that because of the Royal Family's public-facing role, it would be possible for someone determined enough to attempt a similar attack. He said: 'Ian Ball was no one, but if you planned enough you could still get to a Royal.' On September 27, 1974, the London Gazette announced the award of a George Cross to Inspector Jim Beaton, while all those involved in foiling the attack were also recognised for their valour. The citation read: 'All the individuals involved in the kidnap attempt on Princess Anne displayed outstanding courage and a complete disregard for their safety when they each faced this dangerous armed man who did not hesitate to use his weapons. 'It is entirely due to their actions – as well as to the calmness, bravery and presence of mind shown both by Princess Anne and by Captain Mark Phillips in circumstances of great peril – that the attack was unsuccessful.' After recovering from his wounds, Inspector Beaton returned to Anne's side and remained her protection officer for the next five years. The now Princess Royal celebrated her 75th birthday yesterday. Mr Beaton said he had not seen her for many years, adding: 'She still sends me a Christmas card every year – but it's fine.' He would serve with the Metropolitan Police for 30 years, including nine years as the Queen's Police Officer from 1983 to his retirement in 1992. His exceptional service was recognised when he was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 1987 – a personal decoration from the Queen – and later promoted to Commander. Leaving with the rank of Chief Superintendent in 1992, he worked as a head of security with Elf Oil in Aberdeen before retiring in 2000 and moving south to be near his daughters, Linda and Shona, and his grandchildren. He is one of 20 living holders of the George Cross and served as the first civilian chairman of the VC and GC Association, which represents holders of the Victoria Cross and George Cross. Recipients of the two highest UK honours for gallantry now receive an additional £10,000-a-year pension from a grateful nation. Having dodged a bullet more than 50 years ago, Mr Beaton has lived a rich and fulfilling life. 'I think I have made a full recovery. No one has told me otherwise so I am just plodding on,' he said quietly. Whether or not he and Ball ever cross paths again, history will bind them together forever. The tiny sliver of bullet lodged in Mr Beaton's right hand will see to that.
The Sun
11 hours ago
- The Sun
Who was Kevin Watson? Chicago man killed on Facebook live stream
A FATHER was murdered in a parking lot while ranting to his friends and family about a recent parking dispute online. Here's everything we know about Kevin Watson, who was gunned down and killed after exiting his car during a Facebook live stream. Who was Kevin Watson? Kevin Watson was a 42-year-old man from Chicago, Illinois. After visiting his cousin's workplace at a nearby store, he started the social media stream that would ultimately document his murder. The sickening ordeal unfolded on the 5000 block of W Madison Street — just a mile east of a police station — at around 6.14pm CDT. In the harrowing live-streamed footage, Kevin is seen jumping in his seat when the unidentified gunman approaches his car. A car reportedly pulled up next to him while he was telling viewers about the altercation, according to ABC7 Chicago. Kevin raised his arms in the air while asking: "What's up bro?" He then suddenly darted out of his vehicle in a panicked state, before exclaiming off camera: "What's up? Hell nah." A single gunshot rang out a few seconds after he alighted the car. According to reports, quick-thinking bystanders applied pressure to Kevin's wound while they waited for emergency services to arrive. Police said he was shot once in the vicinity of his chest and allegedly knew the gunman. The Chicago local, who lived just two blocks south of the location of the shooting, was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was tragically pronounced dead. The chilling footage of the fatal shooting has been viewed more than two million times on social media, as of August 15, 2025. Witness Alvin Jackson told ABC7: "He was talking to a guy, and he was going to his car, then the guy followed behind him. 3 "So, the guy followed behind him and pulled the gun on him. "He was trying to wrestle with the gun, and the gun went off." Jacquez Smith, Kevin's heartbroken cousin, recalled watching her fatally injured family member suffering as he bled out. She told ABC7: He was choking for breath, he was trying to struggle to breathe.' Kevin was the father of a six-year-old boy, and passed away just weeks before his own birthday. His cousin Jacquez added: "He was a good man. No matter what he done, he helped people, you know? He helped me get this job in here." As of August 15, so far no arrests have been made as police continue to investigate the deadly shooting.
The Sun
12 hours ago
- The Sun
Gunman opens fire outside mosque in Sweden as police urgently hunt on the run shooter and warn people to stay away
TWO people have been injured following a shooting near a mosque in Sweden, police have said. The victims were rushed to hospital after being shot as they were leaving Friday prayers, according to reports. 3 3 3 The horror incident took place in the Swedish city of Orebro. Cops are looking for the suspected perpetrator, who is yet to be apprehended. No arrests have yet been made, according to reports. Emergency services are working at the scene in large numbers, and members of the public are urged to stay clear of the area. The extent of the victims' injuries is unclear at the present time. It is unknown whether the gunman was targeting them mosque or specific individuals. .
