At a Tuesday press conference, top officials from government and police released further confirmed details about the mass attack at a Graz school: Landespolizeidirektor Gerald Ortner identified the perpetrator as a 21-year-old Austrian who legally owned two firearms—a long gun and a handgun.
The attack killed ten people (six women and three men) before the attacker committed suicide in a restroom. Twelve others were injured, some critically.
The motive remains unclear. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) said the suspect was a former student of the school who had not graduated and was previously unknown to authorities.
Three Days of National Mourning
Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) called the event a “dark day” and a “national tragedy.” He announced a one-minute nationwide silence at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday and declared three days of state mourning through Friday. Styrian Governor Mario Kunasek (FPÖ) added that all public events in Styria will be canceled during the mourning period.
