RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday offered condolences to Austria over a shooting attack that killed 10 and injured 11 at a secondary school, according to the Saudi Press Agency, or SPA.
In a message to Austrian President Alexander van Deir Beilin, King Salman condemned the attack as a “disgraceful criminal act” and expressed “deepest condolences and sincere sympathy” to the people of Austria and relatives of those killed. He also wished the injured “a speedy recovery.”
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is also prime minister of the Kingdom, sent a similar message to the Austrian leader.
Police said the shooter, armed with two legally owned guns — a shotgun and a pistol — attacked the Dreierschuetzengasse secondary school in Graz region on June 10 before taking his own life.
Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen and his partner Doris Schmidauer place flowers at a central square in Graz, southeastern Austria, on June 11, 2025, one day after ten people died in a school shooting in the city. (APA/AFP)
A teacher and nine teenagers aged between 14 and 17, were among the victims, Austrian press agency APA reported.
Of the eleven wounded, nine were still in intensive care but in a stable condition on Wednesday, according to hospital officials.
The shooter was a 21-year-old former pupil at the school in Graz region, but never finished his studies there, local media quoted probers as saying.
During a search at the suspect’s home, police found a “non-functional” homemade bomb, a farewell letter as well as a video message addressed to his mother, none of which offered any clues about his motive.
The government declared three days of mourning for the victims. Church bells rang out across Austria as people stopped in the streets, radio and TV programs were interrupted and public transport was halted.
Media commentators highlighted how easy it is for Austrians to get firearms, and pointed to the relatively high number of weapons in circulation.
People attend a commemoration event to pay their respect at a central square in Graz, southeastern Austria, on June 11, 2025 one day after ten people died in a school shooting in the city. (APA/AFP) Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen and his partner Doris Schmidauer place flowers at a central square in Graz, southeastern Austria, on June 11, 2025, one day after ten people died in a school shooting in the city. (APA/AFP)
During a visit to Graz, President Van der Bellen said the country was still “in deep, deep shock” following the “abominable... horror we all experienced.”
“If we come to the conclusion that Austria’s gun laws need to be changed to ensure greater safety, then we will do so,” he told a memorial event on Wednesday.
Austrian newspapers ran headlines that read “Why?” and “It’s horrific,” with the daily Kurier opting for a front page all in black.
Grieving Austrians held tearful memorials for the victims. Mourners cried, hugged and left flowers, candles and letters to the victims in churches and outside the school.
Condolences poured in from leaders across Europe, with Pope Leo XIV offering his “prayers for the victims of the tragedy” at his general audience on Wednesday.
(With AP)
