The suspect entered two classrooms armed with a legally owned handgun and shotgun.

On Tuesday, Graz Mayor Elke Kahr confirmed that at least 10 people — eight students, one adult and the alleged attacker — were killed in a shooting at a high school in the Austrian city.

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The mayor, who called the shooting a “terrible tragedy,” said many wounded were taken to hospitals. Some media reports indicate at least 28 people were injured, four of them in critical condition.

A Graz police spokesperson said the high school was evacuated and the building was searched to rule out further safety risks. Authorities currently believe the attacker acted alone.

The attack began around 10 a.m. at a school attended by students ages 14 and older. According to Kronen Zeitung, the alleged shooter was a student who had been bullied, while Salzburger Nachrichten reported he was a 22-year-old former student.

The suspect reportedly entered two classrooms — one where his former classmates were present — armed with a legally owned handgun and shotgun. Multiple outlets reported that a body found in the restroom may be that of the attacker.

Students and teachers were relocated, and authorities set up a meeting point for parents to receive information. The area around the school was cordoned off and guarded by heavily armed police, with traffic diverted.

The shooting comes 10 days before the 10th anniversary of another shooting in Graz that left three people dead.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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