Austria reels from 'national tragedy' after gunman kills 10 at his former high school

Austria will hold three days of national mourning after a 21-year-old man shot dead eight pupils and an adult at his old high school and injured several others before turning his weapon on himself.

- Jon Henley

A 10th victim who had been in a critical condition in hospital later died of her injuries, local media reported yesterday evening.

Visibly moved at an afternoon media conference, the chancellor, Christian Stocker, announced a minute's silence for 10am today to start the period of mourning for the victims of Austria's deadliest postwar mass shooting.

The attack yesterday morning in the southern city of Graz was "a dark day in the history of our country", an act of "unimaginable violence" and "a national tragedy that has shocked us all", he said.

The interior minister, Gerhard Karner, told the media conference that six of the dead were female and three male. He said the presumed shooter, a former pupil at the school who had left before graduating, had acted alone.

The mayor of Graz, Elke Kahr, had earlier said that an adult thought to be a teacher at the school was among the fatalities. Local hospitals said they were treating 12 people wounded in the attack.

The gunman opened fire in two classrooms, one of which had once been his own, soon after 10am local time (0900 BST). Police gave the all-clear about 90 minutes later, after a major security operation involving a special forces unit and several helicopters.

A police spokesperson told reporters the suspect was a 21-year-old Austrian national who was armed with two weapons that he owned legally, and had no criminal record. His name has not been released.