Austrians pay tribute to victims of school shooting

(MENAFN) Austria came together to honor the 10 individuals who lost their lives in a tragic school shooting, observing a minute of silence on Wednesday after thousands had gathered the previous evening to hold a vigil with candles for the victims.

According to reports, authorities indicated that the 21-year-old suspect, a former pupil at the school, ended his life in a bathroom at the educational institution shortly after the gunfire erupted in Graz on Tuesday—marking the deadliest shooting the country has witnessed in recent years.

In a statement released Wednesday, officials shared that a search of the attacker’s residence revealed a "farewell letter" along with a pipe bomb that was rendered inoperative. As of now, authorities have not identified the reason behind the shooter’s actions.

The incident occurred at Dreierschützengasse Secondary School, situated in the north-western part of the city, and left another 12 people wounded.

The fatalities included six females and three males who died at the scene, while a seventh female succumbed to her injuries at a hospital later on. Reports noted that seven of the deceased were students.

Austria has declared a three-day national mourning period, with flags on all government buildings lowered to half-mast. The minute’s silence in memory of the victims was held across the country at 10:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

After the moment of silence in Graz’s central square, a woman named Tores shared with a news agency that she personally knew one of the boys who had died. He was 17.

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