What we find out about Graz mass capturing

College students have been sitting of their lecture rooms at a secondary college in Graz when a 21-year-old Austrian man shot lifeless 9 folks, earlier than killing himself.

Twelve folks have been injured in Tuesday morning’s violence, with one individual dying hours later in hospital from their accidents.

The incident was the deadliest mass capturing in Austria’s latest historical past and the nation has declared three days of mourning.

Police are nonetheless investigating why the gunman – a former scholar who didn’t graduate – carried out the assault.

Here’s what we all know to date.

The primary shot echoed by way of Dreierschützengasse secondary college, within the north-west of Graz, near the primary prepare station, at about 10:00 native time (09:00 BST), initially sparking confusion as to what was taking place.

“Was {that a} shot? That may’t be true. One thing should have fallen on the development website throughout the road,” a 17-year-old scholar, recognized as F, mentioned to his mates, in response to the Kleine Zeitung newspaper.

One scholar informed Die Presse that when photographs rang out, his trainer instantly locked the classroom.

One other scholar informed the paper that at the beginning she thought the photographs have been firecrackers, however “then there was screaming, and we ran”.

Native resident Astrid, who lives in a constructing subsequent to the varsity, informed the BBC she heard 30 or 40 photographs. Her husband Franz referred to as the police.

“We noticed one pupil on the window – it appeared like he was on the brink of leap out… however then he went again inside,” Franz mentioned.

The couple later noticed the scholars had “obtained out of the varsity on the bottom ground, from the opposite aspect” the place they “gathered on the road”, Franz mentioned.

The shooter took his personal life in a faculty lavatory shortly after the gun assault, the authorities mentioned.

Police introduced the scenario beneath management in 17 minutes. Greater than 300 cops, together with a specialist Cobra tactical unit which handles assaults and hostage conditions, have been deployed to the varsity.

Six females and three males have been killed within the assault, and a seventh feminine died later in hospital. Austria’s APA information company has reported that seven of these killed have been pupils.

The victims haven’t but been named by the authorities.

One girl, Tores, informed BBC Information in Graz’s major sq. on Wednesday that she knew one of many boys who had died. He was 17.

“I’ve know this household for a very long time, together with the son of the household, and knew that he attended that faculty. I rang instantly, to ask if every little thing is OK. Then they let me know at noon, that the boy was a type of slaughtered,” she mentioned.

“What occurred yesterday is totally terrible, the entire of Austria is in mourning,” she mentioned. “That is horrible for the entire of Austria.”

Individuals who had been injured have been in a secure situation as of Wednesday, Austrian media reported.

The 21-year-old, who has not but been named, was an Austrian man from the broader Graz area who acted alone, police mentioned.

He was a former Dreierschützengasse scholar who didn’t graduate from the varsity, Inside Minister Gerhard Karner informed a information convention on Tuesday.

In an announcement on Wednesday, police mentioned they discovered a “farewell letter” and a non-functional pipe bomb throughout a search of the suspect’s residence. Authorities haven’t confirmed the gunman’s motive.

Present info suggests the shooter legally owned the 2 weapons used within the assault and had a firearms licence, police added.

Austria has one of the closely armed civilian populations in Europe, with an estimated 30 firearms per 100 individuals, in response to the Small Arms Survey, an unbiased analysis mission.

Machine weapons and pump motion weapons are banned, whereas revolvers, pistols and semi-automatic weapons are allowed solely with official authorisation. Rifles and shotguns are permitted with a firearms licence or a sound searching licence, or for members of conventional capturing golf equipment.

Faculty shootings are uncommon. There have been just a few incidents over time which have concerned far fewer casualties:

• In 2018, a 19-year-old was shot by one other youth in Mistelbach, north of Vienna
• In 2012 in St Pölten, a pupil was shot lifeless by his father
• In 1997, in Zöbern, a 15-year-old killed a trainer and significantly injured one other
• In 1993, a 13-year-old boy in Hausleiten significantly injured the top trainer after which killed himself

Austria’s most violent gun assault lately happened within the coronary heart of Vienna in November 2020. 4 folks have been killed and 22 injured when a convicted jihadist ran by way of the centre of town opening hearth, earlier than he was ultimately shot by police.

Fanny Gasser, a journalist for the Austrian day by day newspaper Kronen Zeitung, informed BBC Information the varsity was doubtless unprepared for the potential of an assault.

“We aren’t dwelling in America, we live in Austria, which looks like a really secure area.”