Displaying items by tag: Graz

Austria has declared three days of national mourning after a 21-year-old former student fatally shot eight pupils and a teacher at his old high school in Graz, later taking his own life. A tenth victim, critically injured, has since died, and eleven others remain in hospital. Austria’s chancellor, Christian Stocker, called it a ‘national tragedy’, and the president said, ‘What happened today … strikes our country at the heart. These were young people who had their whole lives ahead of them.’ The gunman, armed with legally owned firearms, opened fire in two classrooms. His motive remains unclear as the investigation continues. Mass shootings are rare in Austria, even though the nation has one of Europe’s highest civilian gun ownership rates. In response to the tragedy, crisis teams are supporting affected families and the community. The mayor of Vienna stressed that hate and violence must not prevail, and European leaders have expressed deep sorrow and sympathy.