Austria school shooting latest: Ten dead after gunman opens fire at college in Graz – UK Times

Austria’s president Alexander Van der Bellen said the country is in mourning following the Graz shooting.

“This horror is one which cannot be put into words. What happened today in a school in Graz has struck our country right in the heart,” he said in a statement.

“These were young people who had their whole lives ahead of them. A teacher, who guided them on their way. There is nothing that can ease the pain that the parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends of the murdered are feeling in this moment.

“Austria mourns. And in this hour we stand together. We stand together, to withstand the pain together. We stand together, to be there for all of the injured.

“Today, and in the heavy days ahead, which will be heavy, our country will show that our strength lies in this togetherness.”

Christian Stocker said today’s shooting will affect the whole country.

“A school is a place of trust, security, and hope. That this safe space was so brutally shattered has left us stunned and taken aback,” he said.

“My condolences to those who were wounded and suffered immeasurable emotional distress as a result of this unimaginable act of violence, and to all the students and staff.

The Austrian chancellor also thanked emergency services for their rapid response to the difficult incident.

“Today it’s about compassion and being there for one another. In these difficult times, humanity is our strongest asset,” he said.

Austrian chancellor Christian Stoker says his thoughts were with the families and parents who have lost a child in the shooting.

“The school shooting in Graz is a national tragedy that has deeply shaken our entire country,” he said in a statement.

“Through this incomprehensible act, young people have been torn from the lives they still had ahead of them. There are no words to express the pain and grief that everyone across Austria is feeling right now.”

Austria’s foreign affairs minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said she was deeply shaken by the shooting.

“The reports of the rampage in Graz deeply shake me. It is incomprehensible and unbearable,” she wrote on X.

“My sympathy and sorrow are with the victims and their families. No one can imagine the suffering; as a mother of three children, it tears my heart apart.”

Styrian governor Mario Kunasek has expressed his horror after the shooting in the state’s capital of Graz.

“It’s unbelievable what happened in Graz today. As the governor of Styria and as a father, I am deeply affected by this madness that has brought so much misfortune and unbelievable suffering. My thoughts are with the innocent victims, families and teachers,” he said in a translated post on Instagram.

Local media now reports the death toll has risen to 10.

Earlier, Kronen Zeitung reported that four people were in an extremely critical condition, including some with gunshot wounds to the head.

The school shooting comes nearly 10 years to the day of Graz’s last mass attack.

At one point in that attack, the perpetrator jumped out of the vehicle and stabbed two people before driving to a police station where he was arrested.

Alen Rizvanoic was sentenced to live in prison over the attack in 2016. He died by suicide in 2023.

Austrian media is reporting the lone shooter was a 22-year-old former student of the Graz school that was attacked this morning.

Salzburger Nachrichten reported that initial information suggested the gunman had a pistol and a shotgun, allegedly both legally owned.

Those reports are unconfirmed by police at this stage.

Vienna’s mayor, Michael Ludwig, said he was “deeply shocked” to learn of the shooting.

“My deepest condolences go to the victims, their families, and all those who are now experiencing immeasurable suffering,” He said in a translated post on X.

“It is precisely in such moments that we as a society must stand together. Hate and violence must never gain the upper hand. Our response to this must be an even stronger commitment to unity and respect.”