Shorouk Express
On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents
Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents
Get a weekly international news dispatch
At least ten people have been killed in a school shooting in the Austrian city of Graz, according to reports.
A major police operation got underway on Tuesday morning after gunshots were heard inside the Graz’s BORG university school, where a lone gunman opened fire in two classrooms. Austria’s interior ministry has now confirmed several deaths.
At least ten people are dead including seven students and the suspected gunman, mayor Elke Kahr said in a press briefing. At least 28 people are currently being treated in hospital, four of whom remain in a critical condition, according to Austrian outlets Kronen Zeitung and oe24.
Follow the latest updates on the Graz shooting on our live blog.
Salzburger Nachrichten, reports that the gunman is a 22-year-old former student who used a pistol and shotgun in the attack, which he reportedly owned legally.
Police said shortly after 11:30am local time (10:30am UK time) the situation is secure and no further danger is expected, after the school was evacuated with everyone taken to a safe meeting point.
Mark Nolden, a 22-year-old student, told Krone: “I live across the street in the housing estate, and I know some children who attend this school. This is a huge shock for me. I hope everyone is okay. It’s a situation like something out of a movie, especially the uncertainty.”
The husband of a teacher who is barricaded in the classroom with her students has revealed to Krone newspaper that his wife heard several gunshots. Parents of students who escaped have been permitted to see their children, while injured students are being cared for in the nearby Helmut List Hall.
A local shopkeeper who did not want to be named told The Independent that there are police “everywhere” in the area.
Styria governor Mario Kunasek (FPÖ) said: “”What happened today in Graz is incomprehensible. As Governor of Styria and as a father, I am deeply saddened by this insane act, which has caused so much harm and incredible suffering. My thoughts are with the innocent victims, families, and teachers.”
Austrian foreign minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said on X: “It’s incomprehensible and unbearable. My sympathy and grief go out to the victims and their families. No one can imagine the suffering; as a mother of three children, it breaks my heart.”
Mr Kunasek said he was in contact with the government officials and police, and that all prior appointments have been cancelled.
A minute of silence will be held at the Nova Rock Festival 2025 in Nickelsdorf, confirmed by organiser Ewald Tartar.
The shooting took place shortly before the tenth anniversary of the Graz shooting on 20 June 2015, which killed three people in an attack which has scarred the local community for years.
