The first photos of 21-year-old Arthur A., who killed 10 people (nine students and a teacher) before killing himself during his Tuesday invasion of a school in Graz, Austria, have been released by the media in the country.

In one, he appears to be a teenager, while in another, he is holding a small cat.

Meanwhile, Austrian authorities are treating the attack on the 21-year-old who lived with his single mother, who is Austrian, in Kalsdorf near Graz as an act of revenge. His father is Armenian.

According to Kronen, in the suicide note found in his room, the young man reportedly described having cut classes and was looking for someone to blame. For its part, the Kurier reports that he had stayed in the same class several times.

In a farewell video he recorded on his cellphone and sent to his mother shortly before the attack, he asks her to forgive him “for what I’m about to do now”. He also thanks his mother for the care he received from her.

Authorities, according to media reports in Austria, say the shooter’s mother opened the video 24 minutes after receiving it when the attack had now taken place and her son had ended his life.

He also left a letter in which he blamed the school for the bullying he had suffered while asking that his cat, the one he posed with, be cared for.

Media in Austria point out that Arthur A. had a permit to possess a gun, but not to carry one. In Austria, buying a shotgun is legal for those over the age of 18, while buying a revolver requires a psychiatric evaluation.

The 21-year-old opened fire with a pistol and a shotgun in two classrooms and other areas of the school. An explosive device was also found in his home, but it was not functional.

The victims, a total of six girls and three boys, were mostly 15 to 17 years old, while one was 14 years old. A 59-year-old teacher was also killed by the gunman’s bullets.

Another 11 were wounded in the attack. Of these, four are in intensive care and the others in stable condition.

Three days of national mourning in Austria

“Nobody in Austria is in the mood for a celebration.” With these words, Chancellor Christian Stoker declared three days of national mourning for the tragedy, also calling it a “dark day” for the country.

“Today is a dark day in the history of our country. The attack constitutes a national tragedy, which deeply saddens us. The country stands silent at this moment. Nine people have suddenly lost their lives. There are no words to soothe this pain. Our country stands silent. School should be a place of education. Resolving disputes through violence should never be a part of our lives.”
Stoker said from Graz.

“Nobody in Austria is in the mood for celebration,” anyway, he said, adding that a minute’s silence would be observed across the country today at 11:00 (local time).