After the mass shooting by a 21-year-old at his former school in Graz, a non-functional pipe bomb was found during a search of the suspect’s apartment, the Styrian Police Directorate confirmed to APA Wednesday morning. The bomb was discovered in the home of the alleged perpetrator, who committed suicide on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Styrian police have received additional threats from copycats.

Alongside the pipe bomb, officers also found a farewell video the suspect had sent to his mother, the police confirmed Wednesday. An analogue farewell letter was also recovered. The shotgun and pistol used in the attack had been legally owned by the 21-year-old. “However, he should never under any circumstances have been allowed to carry them,” police spokesman Sabri Yorgun told APA. Reports that the man had been bullied in the past remain unverified, and precise details of his school career are still unclear.

Copycat Threats Follow Shooting
General Director for Public Security Franz Ruf told Ö1’s morning journal that “several copycats” have since used the incident to issue further threats. While the Styrian Police Directorate avoids the term “copycats”—noting no additional shootings have occurred—they acknowledge “suspects” are leveraging the massacre, Yorgun said.

Specifically, on Tuesday an (as yet unfulfilled) bomb threat was made against Graz’s main train station, and on Wednesday a threat letter targeted another Graz school. “Of course, we have taken precautionary measures,” Yorgun said, without elaborating. Investigations into these copycat threats are proceeding in parallel.