3 days ago
'A national tragedy': Several killed and others injured in Austria school shooting
At least nine people have been killed and several others injured in a shooting at a school in the southern Austrian city of Graz, according to the city's mayor. Graz Mayor Elke Kahr told Austrian news agency APA that the suspect was also dead, and that many of the injured had been taken to hospital. Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker described the attack as a "national tragedy" in a statement and offered his condolences to the families who have lost their children. "The rampage at a school in Graz is a national tragedy that has deeply shaken our entire country," Stocker said. "There are no words for the pain and grief that we all, all of Austria, are feeling right now," he added. Police gave no initial toll but said "several" people were dead. The reports did not specify how many of the dead were pupils. Ambulances were on the scene outside the school in the aftermath. A local police spokesman said the area had been secured. People had been evacuated from the school, and relatives of the victims and pupils were being cared for. "There is no further danger for the population, but there are several dead," he told Austrian television. Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper cited unconfirmed reports as saying the suspect was a 22-year-old former student who carried two weapons: a pistol and a shotgun. Austria has one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe, with an estimated 30 firearms per 100 persons, according to the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project. Machine guns and pump-action guns are banned, while the ownership of revolvers, pistols, and semi-automatic weapons is allowed only with official authorisation. Rifles and shotguns are permitted with a firearms license or a valid hunting license, or for members of traditional shooting clubs. In a post on X, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said: "Every child should feel safe at school and be able to learn free from fear and violence. My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the Austrian people in this dark moment."
