Tributes have been paid to the first-named victim of the school shooting in Austria yesterday.
Lea Bajrami,15,was named as one of the eleven victims in the Graz shooting,where a former student of Borg Dreirschutzengasse Secondary School in Graz opened fire as students were taking exams.
Lea’s grandfather,Muhabi Bajrami,told Tevë1: ‘She was an excellent student in school. We heard this happened in the morning,and everyone called us and asked where Lea was.
‘We hoped it wasn’t true,but at 2 pm,my son called me and said,‘Father,Lea has left us.’
Her uncle,Asdren Bajrami,added: ‘We pray for her soul and express our gratitude to all those who share the pain with us in these difficult times.’
Vitina Mayor Sokol Haliti,where Lea’s family was from,said: ‘The loss of a young life,with dreams and hope for the future,is a wound that leaves an indelible mark on the soul of each of us.’
Eleven people have died so far from the shooting,with seven females and three males confirmed among the dead – the shooter killed himself in the bathroom.
Lea Bajrami has been named as the first victim (Picture: Facebook)
Thousands stood in silent grief in the town square (Picture: EPA)
It’s now been revealed that the suspect,named locally as Artur A,allegedly left a goodbye message for his mother. As soon as his mum saw the message,she called the police,but the shooting had already taken place.
Yesterday evening,residents of Austria’s second-largest city gathered in sombre silence to reflect.
Thousands cried,prayed and stood watch over dozens of lit candles in the main town square.
Attendee Felix Platzer told Reuters: ‘When you hear about it,you have so much sympathy for the people,maybe you could have known someone.
‘This is an example of solidarity,and you grieve together. Together it is easier to cope.’
Some attendees were seen openly weeping (Picture: EPA)
In a press conference after the shooting,Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker said the country would enter three days of mourning,with the flag flown at half mast.
‘That such a safe space was hit by such a violent act leaves us speechless,’ he said.
‘‘Today is about empathy. It’s about cohesion,that we are there together for each other in a difficult hour.’
Mario Kunasek,governor of Styria,said: ‘Styria is mourning today,the green heart is crying. This is an unimaginable tragedy that happened this morning.
‘This is so unfathomable. The lives of so many have changed dramatically today.’
The school has been closed indefinitely as police investigate (Picture: Reuters)
The shooter has been named as 21-year-old Artur A,from Graz. Initial investigations have found he owned the guns legally.
Investigators found a farewell letter at the home of the suspected gunman, Austrian newspaper Krone has reported.
Police reportedly raided his property yesterday afternoon and found the note,the contents of which are unknown.
He left school two years ago,had no previous convictions and no known social media.
The suspect was a former student at the school and didn’t finish his education there.
He killed himself after committing the mass shooting with a pistol and a shotgun.
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