Eight people were killed in a school shooting in Austria on Tuesday, officials said.
The gunfire erupted at the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school in Graz, a city of about 300,000. Graz Mayor Elke Kahr said the suspected shooter died as well.
Kahr described the events as a “terrible tragedy,” the Austria Press Agency reported.
The outlet added that the fatalities were seven students and one adult. Kahr also said many people were taken to hospitals with injuries.
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“The school was evacuated and everyone was taken to a safe meeting point,” Austrian police wrote on X. “The situation is secure. No further danger is expected.”
“The reason for the operation was gunshots heard in the building,” police added.
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Special forces were among those sent to the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school after a call at 10 a.m. local time.
The suspected shooter is believed to be a student, according to the BBC.
The motive of the attack is unclear.
Graz is Austria’s second largest city and is located in the country’s southeast.
In Brussels, European Union spokesperson Paula Pinho said that “we would like to offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and the entire city of Graz in Austria. And we stand together in mourning while we seek clarity in the wake of this horrible event in a school.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
