10 people are dead, including teenagers, with 12 others injured after a shooting on Tuesday at a high school in Graz, Austria. A shooter opened fire at a high school in the Austrian city of Graz on Tuesday in one of the worst rampages in the country’s history. The incident took place around 10 a.m. local time at Bundesoberstufenrealgymnasium Dreierschützengasse, a secondary school situated in the city’s northwest. Emergency calls reporting gunfire prompted a swift police response, with the country’s interior ministry Gerhard Karner telling CNN that the victims included students between the ages of 14-18.
The city’s mayor confirmed that the alleged shooter – a 21-year-old Austrian male who had previously attended the school but not graduated – used two weapons, a shotgun and a pistol, to carry out the killing spree, before fatally shooting himself in a bathroom. Officials would not give a motive for the gunman, who they say acted alone.
Police have not released the shooter’s identity but stated he was legally permitted to carry the firearms and was not previously known to law enforcement. The weapons were seized at the scene and subject to forensic examinations, while officers conduct interviews as they investigate the circumstances of the incident.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker announced three days of national mourning after the shooting writing on X: “The rampage at a school in Graz is a national tragedy that has deeply shaken our entire country. This inconceivable act suddenly tore young people from the life they still had ahead of them. There are no words for the pain, disbelief, and sorrow that Austria is feeling today. Our nation is united in grief.”
Home to around 9 million people, Austria has one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in Europe with an estimated 30 firearms for every 100 residents. Automatic and pump-action guns are prohibited, but citizens may legally own pistols, revolvers, and even semi-automatic firearms, provided they complete the necessary licensing and permit requirements.
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