An attacker shot at least nine people dead, before killing themselves, at a school in the southeastern Austrian city of Graz, according to local authorities cited by media reports.

Police said on Tuesday that they believed the assailant acted alone before turning the gun on themself. “Several” other people were seriously wounded, according to the authorities.

Graz Mayor Elke Kahr described the incident as a “terrible tragedy”, the Austria Press Agency reported. It added that those killed included students and at least one adult.

Officials did not immediately give information on the perpetrator.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, who was on his way to Graz, said the shooting “is a national tragedy that deeply shocks our whole country”.

Some weapons, such as rifles and shotguns that must be reloaded manually after each shot, can be bought in Austria after attaining the age of 18 without a permit.

Gun dealers only need to check if there is no weapons ban on the buyer, and the weapon gets registered in the central weapons register.

Advertisement

Other weapons, such as repeating shotguns or semiautomatic firearms, are more difficult to acquire; buyers need a gun ownership card and a firearms pass.