 "Austrians hold vigil in Graz after 10 die in school shooting")
People in the Austrian city of Graz held a candlelight vigil for the victims of a school shooting that killed 10 people, including the gunman who took his own life following the attack.
The attack is the deadliest gun violence the country has seen in recent years. Police said that the 21-year-old gunman, a former student of the Dreierschützengasse secondary school, the site of the mishap, killed himself in a bathroom shortly after going on a rampage.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said that nine people were confirmed dead, while 12 others were seriously injured in the shooting. Seven of the victims were female and three were male, authorities said without specifying their ages. A 17-year-old French student was among the victims, his father told AFP.
Candles, cries and contemplation
The vigil was held on Tuesday night at the city square, where a number of residents, mostly young, showed up to mourn the deaths of the victims.
In the hushed stillness of the evening, thousands gathered, some alone, others holding onto friends’ arms or shoulders. They lit candles, shed tears, and stood quietly in prayer or deep reflection.
Felix Platzer, a passerby at the vigil, told Reuters, “When you hear about it, you have so much sympathy for the people, maybe you could have known someone.”
“This is an example of solidarity, and you grieve together and together it is easier to cope,” he added.
Austria has declared three days of mourning, with a nationwide minute of silence scheduled for Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. local time to honour the victims.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsFlags at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, home to the office of President Alexander Van der Bellen, will be flown at half-staff.
Who was the gunman?
The suspect acted alone and took his own life in the school toilet, police said.
The police said late Tuesday they had found a good-bye letter addressed to his parents during a search of his residence, but that it included no clues about his motive.
According to police, the alleged perpetrator was an Austrian from the Graz region, who used two legally owned weapons.
He was a former student at the high school, but had not finished his studies.
With inputs from agencies
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