A former student fatally shot ten people at a high school in southeastern Austria on Tuesday before taking his own life, officials reported, marking an unprecedented incident of gun violence that shocked the Alpine nation.
Heavily armed law enforcement, a helicopter, and paramedics rushed to the Dreierschuetzengasse High School in Graz after the 21-year-old shooter carried out the attack, according to police.
Nine victims were confirmed immediately, but a woman later succumbed to her injuries in the hospital, an official stated.
Authorities indicated that seven of the victims were female and three were male, but they did not specify their ages. Among the victims was a 17-year-old French student.
Twelve individuals sustained serious injuries, and police said that support would be offered to witnesses and those impacted by the tragedy.
The suspect acted independently and ended his life in the school restroom, police reported, adding that his motive remains unclear.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker announced three days of national mourning to honour the victims, stating that the country had experienced “an act of unimaginable violence.”
According to police, the alleged shooter was an Austrian from the Graz area who employed two firearms that were legally owned.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner informed reporters that he was a former high school student but had not completed his education.
