At least eight people including seven students and two teachers, have been confirmed dead following a devastating school shooting at BORG Dreierschutzengasse High School in Graz, Austria.
In addition to the fatalities, approximately 28 others sustained injuries of varying severity during the attack, which occurred on the school premises.
The suspect, a 21-year-old former student of the school, is believed to have taken his own life.
However, investigations are ongoing to determine the full details surrounding the motive and execution of the shooting.
Gunfire and screaming could be heard on footage posted on X purporting to be from the scene, as well as an injured person being carried to a helicopter by paramedics while pictures showed armed officers at the scene.
An unnamed mother whose child survived the shooting relived the distressing moment her son called her “to say he was in school and that he was being shot and that he thought he was going to die”.
Confirming the incident, which took place on Tuesday morning, the Austrian Interior Ministry stated that the school had been evacuated and that all individuals were safely relocated to a designated meeting point.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker has solemnly declared the tragedy a “national catastrophe”, expressing the profound grief felt across the nation.
“There are no words for the pain and sadness that we all, throughout Austria, are feeling right now,” the Chancellor stated, conveying the country’s collective sorrow.
He extended his deepest condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the surviving students and staff who endured the horrific event.
Reflecting on the sanctity of educational institutions, the Chancellor lamented, “A school is a place of trust, security, and hope. The fact that this safe space was shaken so brutally leaves us stunned,” emphasizing the far-reaching impact of the violence on the community.
