Austria gunman had become fascinated with school shootings, investigators say
Police have said the 21-year-old gunman planned last Tuesday's roughly seven-minute attack at the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school in Graz, which he left three years ago, down to the smallest detail. But much remains uncertain: among other things, why he chose that particular date and why he stopped shooting when he did.
After his body was found, investigators found that the shooter still had 24 bullets in two magazines and another 18 loose bullets for his Glock handgun, as well as 17 bullets for his shotgun, said Michael Lohnegger, the head of Styria province's criminal police office.
A few minutes before the shooting began, the gunman took a picture showing his legs and boots in a school bathroom and posted it to a social media account, Lohnegger said. Investigators are still working through some 30 other accounts attributed to him, created between 2019 and this year, to determine which are genuine.
They can 'say with certainty that, over the years, he developed a significant passion in general terms for the phenomenon of school shootings,' Lohnegger said. 'He glorifies not just the acts in general, but also the perpetrators who carried out these acts."
However, he said, police still have no information on his motive for the shooting.
Eleven people were wounded last week. As of Tuesday, two had been released from hospitals but nine were still being treated, two of whom were still in intensive care, Lohnegger said. Their lives were not in danger.
Chancellor Christian Stocker said Monday that Austria will tighten its gun laws, which are among the more liberal in the European Union. The gunman owned the two firearms he used legally.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 minutes ago
- New York Post
Arkansas police release sketch of person of interest in murder of parents at Devil's Den Park
A manhunt for the killer of a married Arkansas couple who were hiking Devil's Den State Park with their two young daughters entered its fourth day on Tuesday, after police released a sketch of a man wanted for questioning and said the killer was likely injured in the attack. Arkansas State Police released the composite sketch Monday night depicting a man wearing a baseball hat. Police called the man a 'person of interest' who was seen in the park on Saturday. Clinton Brink, 43, and Cristen Brink, 41, were found dead Saturday afternoon on a walking trail in the park. Their young daughters, ages 9 and 7, were uninjured and are safe with family members, police said. While authorities have not shared details on a possible motive or how the couple was killed, state police released a statement with the sketch, saying the suspect 'likely sustained an injury while attacking the couple.' No further details were immediately given. The couple's family released a statement on Monday, asking for privacy and for the public to share any information that could help with the investigation with authorities. 'Clinton and Cristen died heroes, protecting their little girls and they deserve justice,' the statement said. 'They will forever live on in all of our hearts.' 6 Clinton Brink, 43, and Cristen Brink, 41, were killed while hiking with their daughters in Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas. Facebook / Cristen Brink 6 Police released a sketch of a person of interest in the double homicide. Arkansas State Police via AP The family had just moved from South Dakota to the small city of Prairie Grove in northwest Arkansas, and their water had been connected less than two weeks ago, Mayor David Faulk said. Clinton Brink had been scheduled to start a job as a milk delivery driver Monday in the nearby Fayetteville area, according to Hiland Dairy, his employer. Police described the suspect as a White male with a medium build, who was seen wearing a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up, dark pants, a dark ballcap, sunglasses and fingerless gloves. He was also carrying a black backpack, police said. 6 An Arkansas Park Ranger patrolling an entrance to Devil's Den State Park during the manhunt for the murder suspect on July 28, 2025. AP Photo/Michael Woods 6 A sign at the state park warning hikers that the trail is closed during the search for the suspect. AP Photo/Michael Woods The suspect was also seen driving toward a park exit in a black, four-door sedan – possibly a Mazda with tape covering the license plate. The vehicle may have been traveling on State Route 170 or 220, police said. Authorities have urged parkgoers who were at Devil's Den on Saturday to check their photos and videos for possible images of the suspect. The bodies of the couple were taken to the state crime lab, which will look to determine the manner and cause of death. 6 The Brink family had just moved to Arkansas from South Dakota weeks before the murders. Facebook / Clinton Brink 6 Clinton and Cristen died protecting their young daughtes during the attack, according to a statement from their family. Facebook / Clinton Brink Devil's Den is located about 140 miles northwest of Little Rock. The remote 2,500-acre park features hiking trails and rock formations. Fox News Digital's Greg Norman, Kyle Schmidbauer and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dominican authorities chase a boat for more than 12 hours and net 1½ tons of coke
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Authorities in the Dominican Republic said Tuesday that they chased a boat for more than 12 hours and discovered 1½ tons of cocaine aboard it. It's one of the Caribbean country's biggest seizures in history, said Carlos Devers, spokesperson for the country's Anti-Drug Agency. Helicopters, boats and cars were involved in the chase, which began Monday off the country's south coast near Pedernales. It ended with the arrest of three Dominicans and one Colombian, Devers said. Authorities also seized items including a cellphone, 13 jerrycans of fuel, a small cooler filled with water and food, and a backpack with a change of clothes. In late December, authorities seized nearly 9½ tons of cocaine worth $250 million, marking the largest seizure in the country's history. Overall, officials seized more than 46 tons of drugs last year. The second biggest seizure was reported in 2006, with 2.8 tons of cocaine found at a busy port. The Dominican Republic has long been considered a major transit point for drugs bound for Europe.
Hamilton Spectator
31 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Lawyers for Epstein's former girlfriend say she's open to interview with Congress, if given immunity
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned former girlfriend of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, is open to answering questions from Congress — but only if she is granted immunity from future prosecution for her testimony, her lawyers said Tuesday. A spokeswoman for the committee that wants to interview her responded with a terse statement saying it would not consider offering her immunity. Maxwell's lawyers also asked that they be provided with any questions in advance and that any interview with her be scheduled after her petition to the U.S. Supreme Court to take up her case has been resolved. The conditions were laid out in a letter sent by Maxwell's attorneys to Rep. James Comer, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee who last week issued a subpoena for her deposition at the Florida prison where she is serving a 20-year-prison sentence on a conviction of conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse underage girls. The request to interview her is part of a frenzied, renewed interest in the Epstein saga following the Justice Department's July statement that it would not be releasing any additional records from the investigation, an abrupt announcement that stunned online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and elements of President Donald Trump's base who had been hoping to find proof of a government coverup. Since then, the Trump administration has sought to present itself as promoting transparency, with the department urging courts to unseal grand jury transcripts from the sex-trafficking investigation and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewing Maxwell over the course of two days at a Florida courthouse last week. In a letter Tuesday, Maxwell's attorneys said that though their initial instinct was for Maxwell to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, they are open to having her cooperate provided that lawmakers satisfy their request for immunity and other conditions. But the Oversight Committee seemed to reject that offer outright. 'The Oversight Committee will respond to Ms. Maxwell's attorney soon, but it will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony,' a spokesperson said. Separately, Maxwell's attorneys have urged the Supreme Court to review her conviction, saying she dd not receive a fair trial. They also say that one way she would testify 'openly and honestly, in public,' is in the event of a pardon by Trump, who has told reporters that such a move is within his rights but that he has not been not asked to make it. 'She welcomes the opportunity to share the truth and to dispel the many misconceptions and misstatements that have plagued this case from the beginning,' he said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
