10 Killed In Mass Shooting At Austrian School, Shooter Dies By Suicide

Ten people have been shot dead at a school in Austria's Graz on Tuesday. The shooter also died by suicide during the attack, city mayor Elke Kahr said. She described the events as a "terrible tragedy", in which both students and staff were killed.

The mass shooting incident happened at the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school and the perpetrator, also a student, has reportedly died by suicide during the attack. The body of the shooter was reportedly found in the school washroom. The name and other details of the shooter are not known yet, but police believe the assailant acted alone.

Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said he is on his way to Graz.

The police said they rushed to the location after receiving a phone call reporting multiple gunshots being heard at the high school. "Special forces are among those sent to the high school after a call was received at 10 am (local time). Authorities are working to get an overview of what has happened," police spokesperson Sabri Yorgun said, adding that an investigation has begun.

At 11:30 am (local time), the Graz police wrote on social media platform X that the school have been evacuated and both students and staff have been moved to a secure location. They also confirmed that there is no further danger at the site, declaring the area "secure".

It also gave the details of the fatalities, saying nine students and one faculty member had been shot dead in the incident. At least ten others were injured during the incident, and have been taken to a hospital in the neighbourhood.

European Union spokesperson Paula Pinho said that "we would like to offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and the entire city of Graz in Austria. And we stand together in mourning while we seek clarity in the wake of this horrible event in a school."

Graz, a city of just over 300,000 people, is located approximately 200 kilometres southwest of Vienna, the country's capital. It is the second-largest city in Austria.

Austria has strict gun control laws. Firearms ownership in the country is regulated, and requires a license. Individuals must pass a fitness test, demonstrate competence through gun safety courses, and show secure storage for weapons. Weapons like pump or machine guns, high-capacity magazines, rapid-fire guns, and sound suppressors, are restricted or prohibited.

Minors are not allowed to possess a gun and non-European residents need a special permit to bring firearms into Austria. However, 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.