GENEVA

The death toll from Tuesday's school shooting in the Austrian city of Graz has risen to 10, including seven students, one teacher, and the suspected gunman, according to the local police.

The shooting occurred at a school on Dreierschutzengasse around 10 am local time (0800 GMT), prompting a swift evacuation. Students were transported to the nearby Helmut-List-Halle, where emergency psychologists and Red Cross personnel provided assistance.

Initial reports cited at least five fatalities, but the number increased as authorities confirmed additional deaths and injuries. Dozens of people are said to be seriously wounded.

Twelve others were wounded, several of them seriously, the police said.

Police in the state of Styria launched a large-scale response involving several units, including the elite Cobra special forces. Around noon, officials declared the situation safe, and emergency vehicles began withdrawing from the scene.

The attacker, identified as a 22-year-old Austrian man from the Graz area, was a former student of the school but did not graduate, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told reporters.

Authorities believe he acted alone.

The victims included six females and three males, Karner said.

He reportedly entered the building armed with a legally owned pistol and shotgun, opened fire in two classrooms, one of them his former classroom, and then fatally shot himself in a school bathroom, according to Austrian media outlets, including Krone and Salzburger Nachrichten.

“The situation is currently very unclear. It could be an active shooter situation,” police initially told the Austrian Press Agency, as uncertainty surrounded the possibility of a second perpetrator. While the investigation is ongoing, authorities have not ruled out that possibility.

Meanwhile, Austria's State Criminal Police Office of Styria continues to investigate the motive behind the attack.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker also declared three days of national mourning, which will begin Wednesday.

He also declared a nationwide minute of silence to be held at 10:00 am local time (0900GMT) to honor the victims.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen expressed deep sorrow in a statement on X: “This horror cannot be put into words. What happened today at a school in Graz strikes our country right in the heart. They were young people with their whole lives ahead of them. A teacher who accompanied them on their journey. There is nothing that can ease the pain felt by the parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends of those who were murdered.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also reacted on X, writing, “The news from Graz hits home. My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and friends. Schools are symbols of youth, hope, and the future. It is hard to bear when schools become places of death and violence.”

Police and government officials have emphasized ongoing support for survivors, and crisis intervention teams remain on-site to assist students and staff.