Ten people have died following a shooting at a secondary school in the Austrian city of Graz, police say
Six females and three males are among the dead, the interior minister says, plus the suspect who police believe killed himself in a school bathroom
The suspected gunman was a 21-year-old former pupil from Graz who did not finish school and who used two legal firearms, authorities say
The shooting happened at the Dreierschützengasse high school in Austria’s second-largest city at about 10:00 local time The mayor of Graz, Elke Kahr, said the presumed shooter, several students and another adult, thought to be a teacher, were among the fatalities in the attack, the deadliest in Austria’s postwar history. Local media reported that as many as 30 people had been injured.
The gunman, reportedly a former pupil, opened fire in two classrooms at about 10am local time (0900 BST). Ninety minutes later police said there was “no further danger” after a major security operation involving special forces and police helicopters.
Pupils and staff were evacuated from the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school in Graz and the building was being thoroughly searched, a police spokesperson said. Police confirmed that 10 people had died, including the perpetrator.
Citing police sources, local media reported that the gunman was a 22-year-old former student of the school and was armed with two weapons, a pistol and a shotgun, both legally owned, one of which he turned on himself.
Families were gathering at a nearby sports hall where crisis intervention teams were on hand. The area around the school was cordoned off and public transport was diverted, with all streets surrounding the school guarded by armed officers.
A spokesperson for the Austrian Red Cross told the public broadcaster ORF that more than 160 responders were at the scene, including emergency doctors and paramedics. Two information points were available.
