According to news agency AFP, ten people have been killed in the attack, seven of them women and three of them men. Over ten people are reported to be injured. According to the Red Cross, the majority of them are seriously injured.
The Kronen Zeitung states that it is one of the worst mass shootings in Austrian history.
According to reports in several media outlets, it is a former student at the school, located in Graz in southeastern Austria, who opened fire. The newspaper Der Standard writes that several students and at least one adult are among the dead.
The 21-year-old perpetrator, according to the interior minister a former student at the school, is said to have taken his own life in a toilet after the attack. The motive is unclear.
Heart-wrenching scenes
The school shooting here in Graz is a national tragedy that affects us deeply. In these moments of shock, our country stands still. My deepest condolences go to the families, says Chancellor Christian Stocker at a press conference in Graz.
He declares three days of national mourning and a nationwide minute of silence on Wednesday at 10 o'clock. All political negotiations have been put on hold.
The emergency department at the Graz hospital is said to be overwhelmed with patients. The Kronen Zeitung describes heart-wrenching scenes in a temporary rescue center where parents of affected students break down in tears and are taken care of by crisis handlers.
Hundreds of parents and students have been taken care of by the Red Cross's crisis management team, writes the Kronen Zeitung.
"Like a movie"
It's a situation that's like a movie. Above all, the uncertainty, says Mark Nolden, who lives across the street from the school, to the Kronen Zeitung.
The operation began around 10 am on Tuesday morning after the shooting was heard inside the school in Graz. The first police patrols were on the scene minutes later, according to the police.
"My thoughts are with the victims and their families, with the students and staff at the school," writes Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) on X.
