Authorities reported that a former student opened fire at a school in Austria's second-largest city on Tuesday, killing ten people and injuring twelve others before he took his own life.

Police stated that the 21-year-old man, who had no previous criminal record, used two weapons that he was thought to own legally. His motive was not immediately known.

In Graz, southeastern Austria, Chancellor Christian Stocker spoke to reporters, stating that this day marks a sad and important moment in the country's history.

He described the event as "a deep national tragedy that has affected the whole country." He announced three days of national mourning, during which the Austrian flag would be lowered to half-mast at all official buildings. A national minute of silence would also be held on Wednesday morning to remember the victims.

After calls at 10 a.m. reported shots at the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school, which is about a kilometer from Graz’s historic center, special forces were sent there. More than 300 police officers were also sent to the school, and it was evacuated. Videos from the scene showed students quickly leaving the building past armed officers.

Law enforcement officials confirmed that order was restored within seventeen minutes.

Police have identified the lone assailant as a 21-year-old Austrian national residing near Graz, though his name has not yet been released.

Regional Police Chief Gerald Ortner stated that two guns, a rifle and a handgun, were used in the shooting and found at the scene. He also mentioned that the person who committed the crime seemed to own them legally. The man then killed himself in a bathroom.

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner stated the perpetrator had been a former student at the school, having discontinued his studies at an unspecified time and age.

Karner stated on Tuesday afternoon that six of the people who died were women and three were men, but he did not provide more information. He also reported that twelve people were injured. Later, the Austria Press Agency announced that a tenth victim, an adult woman, had died from her injuries, as confirmed by the state hospital in Graz.

The Austrian Red Cross dispatched 65 ambulances and 158 emergency personnel to the site to attend to the injured. Furthermore, 40 specialized psychologists were providing solace to students and parents. The organization also appealed to local residents to contribute blood.

Metin Özden, who owns a kebab restaurant close to the school, first realized something was wrong when many police cars rushed past, and then he heard a police helicopter overhead. He told the Krone newspaper, "I immediately felt that something serious had happened. I have never seen so many emergency services in my whole life." He also described to the newspaper how he saw parents walking past his restaurant, crying as they went towards the school.

Tuesday's violent incident appeared to be the deadliest attack in Austria's history since World War II.

In 2020, a shooting in Vienna resulted in the deaths of four people, and the attacker, who was believed to be a supporter of the Islamic State group, also died. Additionally, more than 20 other individuals, including a police officer, were injured.

In June 2015, a man caused a tragic incident in Graz's city center when he drove an SUV into a large group of people, killing three and injuring more than 30 others.

Despite its deeply rooted hunting heritage, Austria maintains comparatively permissive firearms legislation within the European Union.

In Austria, people aged 18 and older can buy some firearms that are reloaded by hand, like rifles and shotguns, without needing a special permit. Gun shops only need to check that the buyer is not legally banned from owning weapons and that the weapon is recorded in the national firearms database.

It is harder to get other weapons, like repeating shotguns or semi-automatic firearms, because buyers usually need both a gun ownership card and a firearms pass.