A shooter killed at least nine people and wounded many others in an attack at a secondary school in the southern Austrian city of Graz on Tuesday, the city’s mayor said.

Mayor Elke Kahr, quoted by Austrian news agency APA, said many injured had been taken to the hospital following the shooting, which she called a “terrible tragedy.”

Several students and at least one adult were among the dead, Kahr confirmed. The perpetrator was also found dead, Austrian police said on Tuesday in a post on X.

According to the Austrian public broadcaster ORF, citing police, a student was behind the shooting, which led to the school’s evacuation.

The reports did not specify how many of the dead were students. Ambulances were on the scene outside the school.

A local police spokesman said the area had been secured. People had been evacuated from the school, and relatives of the victims and students were being cared for, he said.

“There is no further danger for the population, but there are several dead,” he told Austrian television.

Police said they believe the assailant acted alone.

Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper cited unconfirmed reports as saying the suspect was a 22-year-old former student who carried two weapons — a pistol and a shotgun. Kronen Zeitung said the suspect had been found dead in a bathroom. Reuters could not immediately confirm this.

Graz, Austria’s second-biggest city, is located in the southeast of the country and has about 300,000 inhabitants.

Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner was on his way to Graz.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker said the shooting was a “national tragedy” in a statement and offered his condolences to the families who have lost their children.

“There are no words for the pain and grief that we all — all of Austria — are feeling right now,” he added.

“The news from Graz shakes us to the core,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X.

“My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and friends,” she posted, adding: “My thanks go to the emergency services and helpers during these difficult times.”

EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas declared herself “deeply shocked” by the shooting.

“Every child should feel safe at school and be able to learn free from fear and violence,” Kallas posted on X. “My thoughts are with the victims, their families and the Austrian people in this dark moment.”

European Union spokesperson Paula Pinho said, “We would like to offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and the entire city of Graz in Austria. And we stand together in mourning while we seek clarity in the wake of this horrible event in a school.”

Austria has one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe, with an estimated 30 firearms per 100 persons, according to the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project.

Machine guns and pump-action guns are banned, while ownership of revolvers, pistols, and semi-automatic weapons is allowed only with official authorization. Rifles and shotguns are permitted with a firearms license or a valid hunting license, or for members of traditional shooting clubs.