College is out for no less than every week, however the college students saved approaching Wednesday morning, the day after a lethal college capturing in Austria shocked the nation.
They gathered throughout the road from the highschool, in a spot cordoned off from different mourners, well-wishers and reporters.
“What’s actually vital now could be to speak, to be silent collectively, to pay attention,” mentioned Paul Nitsche, 51, an evangelical pastor who teaches faith on the college and who was standing on the road in entrance of the mourning space for the scholars.
On Tuesday, a former pupil killed or fatally wounded no less than 10 individuals on the college, BORG Dreierschützengasse, in Graz, a quiet and well-to-do metropolis that’s Austria’s second-largest, after Vienna. He then appeared to have killed himself in a faculty rest room, the police mentioned.
The police mentioned that the shooter had legally obtained his weapons, a handgun and a shotgun. On Wednesday, the police mentioned they discovered a pipe bomb once they searched the shooter’s dwelling on Tuesday afternoon.
Franz Ruf, the general public safety director on the Austrian Inside Ministry, instructed ORF public tv {that a} “farewell letter” apparently written by the shooter had been discovered however that it didn’t appear to incorporate a motive for the assault.
It was one of many worst college shootings in Europe prior to now decade.
The Austrian chancellor, Christian Stocker, canceled appointments on Tuesday to journey to Graz and declared three days of nationwide mourning — together with a second of silence at 10 a.m. native time on Wednesday.
The information of the capturing shocked Austria, an Alpine nation the place gun possession charges are excessive however gun violence is relatively uncommon.
On Wednesday morning, a headline on the on-line web site of Kronen Zeitung, the nation’s largest newspaper, declared: “The day after the rampage: Austria cries with Graz.”
The state police mentioned that the gunman was 21 and had beforehand attended the college however by no means graduated. Six of his victims have been feminine and three have been male, although the authorities haven’t launched their names or ages, citing privateness legal guidelines. One other sufferer, a trainer, died later at a hospital.
Exterior the college, makeshift shrines of candles, flowers and stuffed animals lined the perimeter of the college. Investigators and firefighters have been nonetheless coming into and exiting the premises, however in any other case the college buildings have been darkish and quiet.
Lessons are out for the rest of the week as college officers resolve how you can proceed. The summer time break begins in early July, and plenty of graduating college students have but to take their ultimate exams earlier than doubtlessly occurring to school.
“We’re simply speechless — this appears to have come from nowhere,” mentioned Simone Saccon, 20, a college pupil who has spent his life in Graz. He lives close to the college and was amongst these gathered exterior on Wednesday. “It’s one thing you think about occurs in main cities or within the U.S., however that it might occur right here?” he added.
Pastor Nitsche was alone in a classroom when he heard the photographs. His first intuition was to cover and wait. “It was as silent as if it was the nighttime,” he mentioned. “Everybody was taking part in lifeless — good.”
After it appeared secure, he mentioned, he ran out right into a hallway the place he noticed the gunman attempting to get right into a locked door by capturing at it. As he raced away, he noticed the physique of one of many victims, a younger lady, and saved on operating till he noticed the police storming in. “So many uniforms will be actually comforting,” he mentioned.
Belkez Halici, 39, who lives throughout from the college, was making ready for work on Wednesday, tears streaming down her face. She had tried to maintain the information from her three youngsters, however that they had heard about it on social media, she mentioned, they usually have been upset and scared.
“I’ve all the time mentioned, colleges right here are usually not secure,” Ms. Halici mentioned. “With individuals coming and going, it’s like a shopping mall.”