‘Dark day’ in Austria as 10 people are killed in school shooting | UK News

College students and adults are amongst 10 victims who have been killed after a gunman opened fireplace at a secondary faculty within the Austrian metropolis of Graz.

Inside minister Gerhard Karner mentioned earlier {that a} additional 12 individuals have been injured within the taking pictures on the BORG Dreierschützengasse highschool in Austria’s second-biggest metropolis.

Nonetheless Mr Karner gave the determine earlier than it was confirmed that an individual in hospital with life-threatening accidents had develop into the tenth individual to die. It’s not clear if this reduces the variety of these injured to 11.

The inside minister additionally mentioned the suspect was a former pupil of the college who did not end his research.

Police have mentioned the 21-year-old Austrian gunman was discovered lifeless within the bogs of the college after the shootings and was working alone.

Because it occurred: 10 killed in Austria school shooting

Authorities say he had two weapons, reported to be a shotgun and a pistol, which he appeared to have owned legally.

Police have mentioned they didn’t have details about his attainable motive.

In the meantime, investigators have discovered a farewell letter on the home of the suspect, the Kronen newspaper in Austria experiences.

Footage shared on-line revealed how gunshots and screaming may very well be heard after the gunman entered the college earlier than opening fireplace.

French schooling minister Elisabeth Borne has mentioned that a type of who died was a “younger fellow citizen” of France.

It got here because the mom of a kid who survived the taking pictures retold the distressing second she obtained a telephone name from her son.

“My son known as me to say he was in class and that he was being shot and that he thought he was going to die,” she mentioned.

“I’ve solely discovered now, two hours later, that he is nonetheless alive.”

Learn extra:
What we know about the shooting so far

Particular forces have been amongst these despatched to the college, slightly below a mile from Graz’s historic centre, after a name at 10am native time (9am UK time).

Round an hour and half later, police wrote on X that the college had been evacuated and everybody had been taken to a protected assembly level.

Police deployed in giant numbers, with emergency automobiles guarding the world across the faculty and with no less than one police helicopter flying above.

Graz, Austria’s second-biggest metropolis, is situated within the southeast of the nation and about 300,000 dwell there.

A ‘darkish day’

Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker mentioned there could be three days of nationwide mourning, with the Austrian flag lowered to half-mast and a nationwide minute of mourning at 10am on Wednesday (9am BST).

He mentioned that it was “a darkish day within the historical past of our nation”.

President Alexander Van der Bellen mentioned that “this horror can’t be captured in phrases”.

“These have been younger individuals who had their complete lives forward of them. A instructor who accompanied them on their manner,” he mentioned.

Effectively-wishers later lit candles and positioned them in the principle sq. in Graz metropolis centre on Tuesday evening as a tribute to the taking pictures victims.

Folks have been seen quietly reflecting as town tried to come back to phrases with the lethal assault.

The college the place the assault occurred had earlier posted a message on Instagram following the tragedy.

The message is written in German, the official language of Austria, and interprets in English to: “It was a very horrible day that deeply impacted and affected us all.

“Allow us to proceed to face collectively as a faculty neighborhood and assist each other.

“Your lecturers and your principal.”