BRUSSELS: EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas declared herself “deeply shocked” on Tuesday by the news that multiple people were killed when a shooter opened fire in a school in southeastern Austria.

“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.”

Students and teachers were reported to be among the casualties, along with the suspected assailant, following the attack in the city of Graz, in the southeast of the Alpine state.

The local mayor was quoted as saying that 10 people were dead.

“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.”