At least nine people have been reported killed and a number of others injured in a shooting at a school in the southern Austrian city of Graz on Tuesday, according to the city’s mayor.
Graz Mayor Elke Kahr, quoted by Austrian news agency APA, described the incident as a “terrible tragedy,” stating that many injured individuals had also been transported to the hospital following the shooting.
The Kronen Zeitung newspaper reported a death toll of at least eight, with at least 10 others seriously injured. Police did not provide an initial count but confirmed that “several” people were dead.
The reports did not specify how many of the deceased were pupils. Ambulances were present at the scene outside the school.
A local police spokesman confirmed that the area had been secured. He added that people had been evacuated from the school and that relatives of the victims and pupils were receiving care.
“There is no further danger for the population, but there are several dead,” he told Austrian television.
The Kronen Zeitung also reported that a suspect had been found dead in a bathroom, although Reuters could not immediately confirm this information.
According to the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project, Austria possesses one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe, with an estimated 30 firearms per 100 persons.
While machine guns and pump-action guns are prohibited, the ownership of revolvers, pistols, and semi-automatic weapons is permitted only with official authorization. Rifles and shotguns are allowed with a firearms license, a valid hunting license, or for members of traditional shooting clubs.
