Austria gunman had 'significant passion' for school shootings, police say

A 21-year-old gunman who killed 9 students and a teacher astatine his erstwhile schoolhouse successful Austria had developed a fascination and "significant passion" for specified shootings successful caller years, investigators say.

Police accidental the erstwhile pupil planned last Tuesday's astir seven-minute attack astatine the BORG Dreierschützengasse precocious schoolhouse successful Graz down to the smallest item - but are inactive uncertain arsenic to the motive for his rampage.

They person besides flagged a bid of copycat threats that are causing disruption.

After the shooter's assemblage was discovered, investigators recovered helium inactive had 24 bullets successful 2 magazines and different 18 escaped bullets for his Glock handgun, on with 17 bullets for his shotgun, according to Michael Lohnegger, the caput of Styria province's transgression constabulary office.

This has led to questions astir wherefore helium decided to halt shooting erstwhile helium did.

Detectives proceed to trawl done a drawstring of societal media accounts attributed to the antheral - who has not been identified - to find which are genuine.

They tin "say with certainty that, implicit the years, helium developed a important passionateness successful wide presumption for the improvement of schoolhouse shootings," Mr Lohnegger said.

"He glorifies not conscionable the acts successful general, but besides the perpetrators who carried retired these acts."

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Eleven radical were besides wounded successful the shootings past week, aft which the gunman besides died by suicide. Two of those wounded person truthful acold been released from hospital. Two stay successful intensive care.

Police besides highlighted an ongoing contented with copycats making threats. In Graz alone, their threats person triggered astir 30 constabulary interventions successful the past fewer days, the Styrian Police Department said.

Austria's Chancellor Christian Stocker said weapon laws successful the country, which are among the much wide successful the EU, volition beryllium tightened successful the aftermath of the attack.