At least 10 people, including the alleged gunman, were killed today when the gunman opened fire at the BORG Dreierschutzengasse secondary school in Graz, Austria. Police said several others were hurt. Officers found the suspect dead inside the school and said they believe he acted alone. Shortly after noon local time, police told residents there was “no further danger to the population.” Dozens of police vehicles, tactical units, and at least one police helicopter arrived on campus after gunshots were heard around 10 am local time..The building was evacuated classroom by classroom while armed officers swept the building. While authorities would only confirm “several” injuries, the local newspaper Kronen Zeitung reported at least 28 wounded students and teachers. Many were treated at the nearby Helmut List Hall before being taken to the hospital. Mayor Elke Kahr called the attack a “terrible tragedy,” adding that the dead include “several pupils and at least one adult.” Chancellor Christian Stocker described the shooting as a “national tragedy that has deeply shaken our entire country,” while President Alexander Van der Bellen said “there is nothing that can ease the pain” felt by the victims families. .Police set up a meeting point for parents at the ASKO football stadium and opened an online site for witnesses. Graz, a city of about 300,000, has little history of gun violence. Today’s attack is Austria’s worst school shooting in modern times. Local media say the gunman was a 22-year-old former student who may have carried both a pistol and a shotgun, though the police have not confirmed his identity.
