9 killed, 10 wounded in Austria school shooting

KABUL (Pajhwok): At least eight students and an adult man have been killed and 10 others injured after an armed man opened fire at them in southern Austria, a media report said on Tuesday.

Reuters reported the incident took place in Graz city.

It said eight students of a secondary school and an adult man were killed and 10 others injured in the shooting.

A local police spokesman said the area had been secured, the school had been evacuated and relatives of the victims and pupils were being cared for.

Kronen Zeitung tabloid said a suspect had been found dead in a bathroom.

Austria is one of the European countries with the highest rate of gun ownership among civilians, the report added.

Austria has one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe, with an estimated 30 firearms per 100 persons, according to the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project.

Further investigations are ongoing into the reason behind the incident.

hz/ma