A shooting at a secondary school in Graz, Austria, has resulted in at least 10 deaths and around 28–30 people were hospitalised, with some in serious condition.

In Graz, a city of around 300,000 with children and educators among the victims, the impact is profound. The attack, the deadliest in Austria’s postwar history, began at 10 am local time when a gunman opened fire in two classrooms.

Local police later confirmed that there was no further danger after a major security operation involving a special forces unit and several police helicopters.

Students and staff were evacuated from the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school in Graz with the building being thoroughly searched. The school was evacuated and secured by 11:30 a.m.

The perpetrator appeared to be a former student who turned his weapon on himself. Families were gathering at a nearby sports hall, and crisis intervention teams were on hand.

The area around the school was cordoned off, and public transport was diverted. Austria’s interior minister, Gerhard Karner, and chancellor, Christian Stocker, were on their way to Graz.

The mayor of Graz, Elke Kahr, described the shooting as a “national tragedy” and called for a stronger commitment to solidarity and respect.

Austria’s President Van der Bellen spoke of horror and mourning and Austria’s foreign minister, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, expressed her sympathy and sadness for the victims and their families, describing the news of the shooting as “incomprehensible and unbearable”.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued condolences, stating “Schools are symbols… It’s hard to bear when schools become places of death”.

Violence in Austria is rare. Authorities are treating this as possibly the country’s deadliest school shooting on record.

An official press conference was planned around 3 pm local time (2 pm BST) by city and federal officials.

Investigators are analysing the shooter’s background, motive, and how the weapons were obtained.