Ten dead in Austria school shooting
A lone gunman opened fire on pupils in a deadly attack at a school in the Austrian city of Graz on Tuesday.
Police said 10 people died in the incident, including the attacker, and several were seriously injured.
At least seven of the dead are reported to be children. The Kronen Zeitung newspaper said up to 28 were injured after the attacker opened fire in two classrooms.
Students and teachers were among those seriously injured, according to police spokesman Fritz Grundnig.
Mayor Elke Kahr called it a 'terrible tragedy', while Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker declared three days of national mourning in response to what he called a "dark day".
The 21-year old sole suspect had been a pupil at the school but did not graduate, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said at a news conference.
Police said that it was assumed there was only one attacker and there was no longer any danger. They said they went to the school after shots were heard. A meeting point was set up for parents of pupils who were evacuated.
'Currently, a police operation is under way. The reason for the deployment was that gunshots were heard in the building,' police said on X.
Special forces were also sent to the Borg Dreierschutzengasse high school after a call at 10am. Graz, Austria's second-largest city, has about 300,000 residents.
Austria's Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said she had been shaken by reports of the 'rampage' in Graz.
'No one can imagine the suffering. As a mother of three children, it tears my heart apart,' she wrote on X.
Regional governor Mario Kunasek described it as an 'insane act', while EU foreign affairs minister Kaja Kallas said she was "deeply shocked" by the shooting.
"Every child should feel safe at school and be able to learn free from fear and violence," Ms Kallas posted on X. "My thoughts are with the victims, their families and the Austrian people in this dark moment."
Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig said he was shocked by the incident and sent his condolences to the victims and their families.
'Hate and violence must never gain the upper hand,' he wrote on X. 'Our response to this must be an even stronger commitment to unity and respect.'
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