THE lone gunman who killed ten people in a school gun massacre has been pictured for the first time.
The 21-year-old, identified as Artur A., was a former student at the school which yesterday was the scene of Austria’s worst mass shooting in modern history.
The attacker lived in a suburb of Graz, and had left the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school two years ago without successfully graduating sixth grade.
He had no previous convictions and was only known to the police as a victim of pick-pocketing.
Former classmates have said he was subjected to severe bullying during his school years, according to local reports.
There is speculation he targeted the school in an act of furious revenge, though police are yet to specify a motive.
When cops searched his house, they found a non-functional “pipe bomb” and a suicide note.
Officers also discovered what appeared to be abandoned plans for a bomb attack during the search, the local media reports.
In the “farewell letter”, Artur A. reportedly said goodbye to his parents and framed himself as a victim of bullying, reports Krone.
He also reportedly recorded a video and sent it to his mother where he spoke of his imminent atrocity and said he was acting “of his own free will”.
Artur A. stormed through two classrooms, firing with a Glock pistol and shotgun – both of which he owned legally.
Ten people were killed in the horrific attack.
A further 12 were taken to hospital with serious injuries, and an adult woman became the tenth victim to pass away on Tuesday evening.
Lea Bajrami, 15, was named as the first victim of the massacre.
She was one of the six girls to be killed alongside three boys and a woman.
Another 15-year-old girl named Hana Akmadžićis has been identified as the second victim of the tragedy.
Her uncle Ilhad paid heartfelt tributes to his niece and said: “She was my child, not just my niece. A flower of paradise. I can’t believe she’s gone.”
All the 11 surviving victims are aged between 15 and 26 years – and are currently being treated in hospitals. They are understood to be in a stable condition.
Eight of them are from Austria, two from Romania, and one from Iran, according to the police.
Austria was stunned by the senseless violence, and three days of national mourning has been declared.
Horrifying video from the scene yesterday showed pupils hiding in a classroom as gunshots rang out nearby.
Other clips showed students running for their lives as heavily armed cops made their way inside the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school.
A dad told local media that one of his sons lay down on the floor and pretended to be dead to escape the slaughter.
The youngest victim was only 14 years old, while other students were between 15 and 17. A 59-year-old teacher was also killed.
Immediately after the killing spree, the attacker went into a toilet and turned one of the guns on himself.
On Tuesday evening, government officials attended a memorial service in Graz Cathedral, and thousands gathered for a candlelight vigil in the city’s main square.
Austria’s Chancellor Christian Stocker said: “Today is a dark day in the history of our country.”
There is no record of a mass shooting in Austria with a death toll this high in the post-war period.
A nationwide minute of silence was observed Wednesday morning, and flags on official buildings were flying at half-mast.
Crisis centres were set up to support Graz locals, with specially-trained psychologists on hand to support students and parents associated with the school.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14447443/first-picture-austrian-school-shooter/
