TEN people were killed on Tuesday after a suspected shooter opened fire in a school in Graz, southeastern Austria, according to the city’s mayor.
Mayor Elke Kahr told Austrian press agency APA that the victims included several students, at least one adult, and the suspected shooter.
"Currently, a police operation is underway... The reason for the deployment was that gunshots were heard in the building," police said on X, confirming the incident.
Police and interior ministry officials were not immediately available for comment, AFP reported.
Police sources told APA that “the situation is very unclear at the moment.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she was “deeply shocked” by the reports.
“Every child should feel safe at school and be able to learn free from fear and violence,” Kallas posted on X. “My thoughts are with the victims, their families and the Austrian people in this dark moment.”
Austria, with a population of nearly 9.2 million, rarely sees public attacks. It is listed among the ten safest countries globally, according to the Global Peace Index.
Though school shootings are less common in Europe compared to the United States, several such incidents have occurred in recent years.
In January 2025, an 18-year-old fatally stabbed a student and a teacher at a school in northeastern Slovakia.
In December 2024, a 19-year-old stabbed a seven-year-old student to death and injured others at a primary school in Zagreb, Croatia.
In December 2023, a student carried out an attack at a university in Prague, killing 14 and injuring 25.
Earlier that year, a 13-year-old shot and killed eight classmates and a security guard at an elementary school in Belgrade. Six children and a teacher were also injured. The shooter later contacted the police and was arrested.
In 2009, a former pupil killed nine students, three teachers and three passers-by in a school shooting in Winnenden, southern Germany, before taking his own life.
(With inputs from agencies)
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