Austria school shooting: A 'farewell video' and how a 24-minute gap made all the difference

Austria witnessed a mass shooting at a school in the city of Graz on Tuesday (June 10) in which 10 people lost their lives. The rampage was perpetrated by a former student of the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school, who was once bullied and dropped out, according to reports. An ongoing investigation has revealed that the 21-year-old sent a video message to his mother before opening fire in the school. However, she missed reading it on time and failed to prevent the massacre.

According to Mail Online, investigators discovered the message after searching the boy's house, but a senior official said that it did not talk about a potential reason for the crime. Meanwhile, Franz Ruf, the public security director at Austria's Interior Ministry told ORF public television that a "farewell letter" had also been found.

Ruf said, "No motive can be inferred from the farewell letter, and that is a matter for further investigations."

What he said and wrote in the farewell messages has not been revealed.

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Austrian news outlet Heute reported that the mother told the investigators that she was confused after seeing the message and immediately informed the police.However, she did not see the message for 24 minutes, and by that time, it was too late.

Who is the Austria school shooter?

The shooter, named as 'Artur A', had already gone on a rampage at his former school, killing 10 students and injuring several other students and teachers.

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The police have not found a motive for the shooting, nor do they know if it was a targeted attack.

Meanwhile, one of the victims of the maniacal shooting in Austria has been pictured. A 15-year-old Kosovan girl named Lea's aunt shared a Facebook post informing people about her demise in the school shooting.

"Today, my niece Lea tragically lost her life in the attack in Graz. We pray for her soul and express our gratitude to all those who share our pain during these difficult times," she wrote.

"Artur A" used a shotgun and a pistol, which he legally owned, to carry out the school shooting.

People played dead to save themselves in Austria school

Screams rang in the halls as students and teachers hunkered down in two classrooms and the corridors for safety while some pretended to play dead.

This was the worst school shooting in Austria. A total of 10 people lost their lives, with nine of them dying on the spot. Most of them were students, with one adult passing away at the school premises, while another woman died at the hospital at night. The shooter later killed himself in the toilet.

Investigators found a suicide note at his home in which he talked about being bullied. However, the exact motivation and the reason for the school shooting are yet to be determined, and the police are scanning his phone for clues.