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Euronews
12-06-2025
- Euronews
Gunman planned Austrian school shooting that killed 10, police say
The 21-year-old gunman who went to his former school in Graz on Tuesday and shot 10 people dead and injured a further 11 had carefully planned his rampage in advance. That's according to a statement by the public prosecutor's office and the police at a press conference on Thursday. During a search of his house, investigators found a non-functional pipe bomb, notes and plans. According to police, the pipe bomb contained all the components. His notes express regret that he did not have time to properly finalise his plans. A farewell letter was also among the items found, but according to investigators, it does not provide any further information about the perpetrator's motive and reads more like an apology to his family. Investigators also revealed that the young man, who lived with his mother, had lived a secluded life. He was reportedly introverted, withdrew mainly into the virtual world where his main social contact came from and played first-person shooter games. Three years ago, he dropped out of school without graduating. The 21-year-old had no criminal record. Michael Lohnegger, the head of the Styrian state police, explained that the perpetrator entered the school on Tuesday at 9:43 am. He was carrying a rucksack containing a Glock 19 pistol, a sawn-off double-barrelled shotgun and ammunition. He went to the school toilet on the third floor, put on a gun belt, shooting glasses and a headset. There were 400 pupils in the school at the time. The gunman, then heavily armed, went to the second floor and shot indiscriminately at people there and at 10:07 am went back to the third floor toilet where he shot himself. The first police patrol arrived at the school at 10:06 am, by which time the rampage was over and the gunman already dead. Investigators assume that the 21-year-old did not know the young people he shot, although the teacher who was killed had taught at the school at the time the gunman was a pupil there. The police investigation is still ongoing, with a laptop and a USB stick still to be analysed. So far, there are no concrete clues as to the motive for the shooting. The Union of Savings and Investments is "an idea that seeks to create opportunities for people's savings to be invested with a higher return, especially when we think of long-term savings,' she said. 'We will issue a recommendation to the Member States to create a savings and investment account, through which a set of investment options that are simple, low-cost (...) and with tax incentives will be made available so that people feel more drawn to this type of investment." The European Commissioner acknowledges that the alternative to fixed-term deposits is investment in financial products with higher risk, in the medium- and long-term. "We will recommend to the Member States that they create these accounts, in which the products offered are, obviously, suitable to the profile of the retail investor. But yes, investment in the capital market involves risk. There is no capital guarantee." But, if the money is a low-interest deposit, bank customers are losing money due to inflation. "They are, in a way that they do not realise, probably. Because, if we put €1,000 in a deposit, at the end of the period we will receive that €1,000 plus interest. The truth is that with that €1,000, we can buy fewer things. When it is said that money is lost in deposits, it is not losing in terms of euros, but what we can purchase with them. It is, therefore, a loss and a waste of the savings effort," emphasised Maria Luís Albuquerque. Regarding the protectionist positions of some EU governments concerning mergers and acquisitions of foreign banks, as is the case with Portugal, the European Commissioner has a warning. "There are, in fact, very focused protectionist attitudes regarding a national perspective. I have been saying that we need to change our way of thinking and we must understand that being domestic means being European,' she said. 'The Commission, as you know, never comments on specific cases. But, concerning banking issues, we have in place a banking union that already involves all the countries in the euro area, and in which the rules that must be followed for mergers and acquisitions of banking institutions are defined. It is the European Central Bank, the relevant supervisor, and the competition authorities that must pronounce on any specific operation." European companies and banks need to be bigger and gain scale to compete with the US and other regions, argues Maria Luís Albuquerque. "For us to compete with the United States, with China, with the big international blocs, we need the muscle that represents the European Union as a whole and not each of the member states per se.' 'Because none of us is big enough, even the largest, or powerful enough to face that level of competition. Therefore, in that sense, we need companies and banks that are capable of competing with the big global financial institutions to offer more and better services, at more competitive prices," Maria Luís Albuquerque explained.
Gulf Insider
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Austria In Shock After School Shooting Leaves 10 Dead, Dozens Injured
Austria is in mourning after the worst school shooting in the country's modern history unfolded on Tuesday morning in Graz. A 22-year-old former student of the BORG Dreierschützengasse opened fire shortly before 10 a.m., killing at least nine people and injuring at least 28 others before taking his own life in a school restroom. According to initial reports from Kronen Zeitung, the attacker used both a shotgun and a handgun during the rampage, which targeted two classrooms. Authorities confirmed that the gunman, a former pupil of the school, had recently acquired the weapons and may have been motivated by a long-standing grievance over bullying. Governor Mario Kunasek of Styria (FPÖ) expressed deep shock in a public statement, 'It is unbelievable what happened today in Graz. As governor and as a father, I am deeply saddened by this act of madness, which has brought so much disaster and incredible suffering. My thoughts are with the innocent victims, families, and teachers.' BREAKING: 🇦🇹‼️ At least 9 people are dead after a shooting rampage at a school in Graz, said they heard between 30 and 40 suspected shooter is believed to have locked himself in the toilet and then killed himself. — Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) June 10, 2025 Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker and members of the federal government traveled to Graz to address the nation. A press conference was scheduled for the afternoon to provide further details about the tragedy. The scene was rapidly secured by emergency responders, including the elite Cobra police unit. Authorities have since declared the situation safe, although the area around the school remained cordoned off for much of the day. Two care centers were set up to provide support for victims, families, and witnesses. 🇦🇹 Footage from the school during the mass shooting in Graz, gunfire can be heard throughout as students hid in classrooms. — Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) June 10, 2025 The Styrian hospital association KAGes confirmed that at least 28 people, including students and staff, were injured in the attack and are receiving treatment. Victims were distributed across multiple hospitals in Graz, with psychological care being extended to both families and medical personnel. Video footage circulated online shows the moment gunfire erupted inside a classroom, and additional clips depict emergency teams sweeping through the school with weapons drawn. Schrecklicher Anblick:🕯Tote Schüler auf Rettungstragen aufgereihtEin weiteres an AUF1 zugespieltes Video zeigt die erschütternden Szenen des Amoklaufs. Schüler filmten aufgereihte Rettungstragen, auf denen sich laut ihren Angaben teilweise auch Todesopfer des Schulmassakers… — AUF1 (@AUF1TV) June 10, 2025 Terrified students can be seen fleeing the building or waiting in shock as medics carry away the wounded.
