
Austria school shooting: Video shows panic, fear as gunshots echo; 10 killed
Austria school shooting (Video credit: X)
In a chilling incident, 10 people, including a student gunman, were killed in a shooting incident at a school in Austria's Graz on Tuesday. The authority, while expressing grief over the incident, suggested that the student behind the shooting probably shot himself.
Meanwhile, a shocking video of the incident at BORG Dreierschützengasse school has gone viral, where harrowing sounds of multiple gunshots can be heard. The video captured by an unidentified man offered a glimpse of two people in a classroom reacting to gunshots.
Mayor Elke Kahr confirmed the toll to the Austrian press agency. Authorities had initially confirmed a "police operation is underway" on X, citing "gunshots were heard in the building."
Police said that situation at the incident spot is under control. Several people were evacuated and taken to a safe place.
The news sent shockwaves across the continent, with EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas expressing profound sorrow. "Every child should feel safe at school and be able to learn free from fear and violence," Kallas posted on X, extending her thoughts to "the victims, their families and the Austrian people in this dark moment."
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NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
'This Isn't real': Teacher's Narrow Escape From Austria School Shooter
A teacher told AFP on Wednesday how he found himself in a corridor with the shooter who killed 10 people in an Austrian school as he fled his empty classroom. Religion teacher Paul G Nitsche was working on his own with the door open on the upper floor of the Dreierschuetzengasse secondary school in Graz when the shooting started. "I heard this bang. And I blocked it out," the 51-year-old told reporters, whose students were elsewhere sitting their final year exams. It was only when he heard the sound of bullet casings hitting the floor of a corridor outside, that "something snapped inside me" and the realisation dawned, he said. "I jumped up and thought, that as a teacher alone in a classroom with a possible attacker, this is a very bad situation. "And I decided to run. "I ran out quickly through the corridor, which is only a few metres long, and then down the stairs." It was then that the evangelical pastor saw the shooter in the corridor of the floor below. The sight of him stopped him in his tracks "for a moment". 'You Try To Block Everything Out' "He was trying to shoot the door (of a classroom) open with his rifle. "He was busy.... and I didn't look around much either... I didn't hang around," Nitsche said. "And as I ran down the stairs, I thought to myself, 'This isn't real, this is a film.'" But when he got to the lower floor "I saw a student lying on the floor and a teacher was there, and I knew, 'Ah, this is serious.'" "As a human being, you really try (to understand what is happening), I know that from my crisis training, but (at the same time) you really try to block everything out," the pastor added. "I think the emergency services were there a minute or two later, thank God." What struck Nitsche was the eerie silence that had fallen over the school. "It was very quiet. Everyone was calm. There was total silence. No screaming, nothing. That's not what school is like. "And the emergency services arrived in normal police cars, four of them with bulletproof vests, and then they went in." Nitsche said it was hard to grasp the enormity of what had happened. What he experienced was just one part of "a mosaic with lots of pieces". He went back to help comfort students outside the school on Wednesday. A City In Shock A large black banner, "Graz stands together", was strung across a fence nearby as Austria's second city tried to come to terms with the tragedy. Small groups of students, most dressed in black and many of them crying, placed candles at the entrance of the closed school. Tuesday's shooting is an unprecedented case of deadly gun violence in the usually peaceful Alpine country. Police said the shooter, a 21-year-old former student at the school, killed himself in a toilet after leaving 10 dead or dying and wounding 12 others. Police found a "non-functional homemade bomb" during a search of his home. A goodbye letter addressed to the suspect's parents was also recovered, though it included no clues about his motive. Locals in Graz are struggling to express their shock. "You can see here how the whole city, probably the whole country is reeling," Michael Saad, a 22-year-old student, told AFP at a candlelight vigil late Tuesday. Saad was among hundreds gathered at the central square in Graz, many young people, placing candles at the feet of a monument in the square in a sombre atmosphere as people stood in silence. Many hugged with tears in their eyes, while others talked quietly in muffled voices.


The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
France eyes social media ban for under-15s after school stabbing
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Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Emmanuel Macron urges EU to ban social media for under-15s after school stabbing in eastern France; here's what we know
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to press the European Union for a regulation that would ban social media access for children under 15 years old. His push follows a deadly incident at a middle school in eastern France, where a 14-year-old student allegedly stabbed a 31-year-old school aide during a bag search for weapons. Speaking to France 2 on Tuesday, Macron said he expects progress within months. 'If that does not work, we will start to do it in France. We cannot wait,' he said, stressing the urgency of the situation following the latest attack at a school in Nogent, Haute-Marne. Violence in schools prompts political urgency The fatal stabbing has reignited debate about youth violence and school safety in France. Prime Minister Francois Bayrou addressed the matter in parliament, describing the attack as part of a wider pattern of similar incidents. Police have questioned a 14-year-old in connection with the stabbing, which occurred during a routine bag search. Macron has linked rising aggression among teenagers to social media influence. He pointed to platforms' ability to verify user ages but noted that enforcement remains weak. Macron urges tech platforms to verify age of users Macron continued his stance on social media accountability via a post on X (formerly Twitter), where he wrote: 'Platforms have the ability to verify age. Do it.' He cited expert support for age-based restrictions and emphasized that the responsibility lies with major tech platforms to implement and enforce these controls. Although many platforms officially restrict users under 13, enforcement is minimal and bypassing age checks is reportedly easy. Macron's remarks aim to put pressure on both European regulators and tech companies. Australia's precedent adds global momentum Macron's comments come as global interest in regulating youth access to social media intensifies. Australia passed a law last year banning access to social media for children under 16. The decision followed public debate and set a precedent as one of the strictest regulatory frameworks against Big Tech's influence on children. France may follow suit if EU-wide action is not forthcoming, Macron warned. The growing consensus among global leaders suggests a shift towards tighter controls on digital access for minors in response to rising safety concerns.