The school shooter who killed ten students in Austria this week sent his mother a goodbye video just moments before carrying out the massacre.
The 21-year-old man carried out the rampage on Tuesday morning before turning the gun on himself. The incident is one of the worst acts of violence in the country’s modern history.
The suspect had been a pupil at the school but did not graduate, Austria’s interior minister Gerhard Karner said.
"Anything else is still speculation," he added. "It was a former pupil but he hadn't finished the school."
Witnesses said they heard as many as 20 gunshots, while one teacher and her students reportedly barricaded themselves in a classroom as the horror unfolded.
Authorities have now found a video recorded by the attacker which he sent to his mother before the attack.
Alarmed by the message, the mother called police, but it was too late to prevent the tragedy, the Heute news programme reported.
Investigators added that a “farewell letter” had also been found.
It comes as one of the victims was pictured for the first time.
Lea, a 15-year-old from Kosovo, was among those killed in the attack on the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school in Graz.
#graz https://t.co/ZWhMnYU0Ed pic.twitter.com/7tjBlb7XRO
— Dom (@d3miniic) June 10, 2025
In a tribute on social media, her aunt said: “Today, my niece Lea tragically lost her life in the attack in Graz. We pray for her soul and express our gratitude to all those who share our pain during these difficult times.”
A teacher and students were among those killed in the attack, the Mayor of Graz Elke Kahr confirmed, describing the attack as a “terrible tragedy”.
At least seven of those killed in the attack were students, the mayor added, explaining that dozens had been left injured.
State police director Gerald Ortner added that the police did not have any prior information about the gunman. He owned two weapons legally, he told reporters.
Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung reported that the suspect was found dead in the school toilets after the attack.
What are the gun laws in Austria?
- Austria has 30 firearms per 100 people, the 13th highest globally, according to Data Panda.
- While high, this is still significantly lower than the US’s 120.5 guns per 100 people.
- Gun laws in Austria are generally more liberal than the rest of Europe, and the ownership of certain rifles and shotguns, which are considered “war material”, is legal for EU citizens over the age of 18 and do not require a permit.
- For handguns and semi-automatic firearms, which are “not war material” according to the Austrian Government, require a permit for those over the age of 21.
Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper cited unconfirmed reports as saying the suspect was armed with a pistol and a shotgun.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker called the mass shooting a "national tragedy”.
A vigil was held in the main square of Graz on Tuesday evening to honour the victims with candles lit for those who lost their lives and their families. Candles were also left near the school.
