Austria tightens gun control laws

(Patria) - The Austrian government plans to tighten national laws on the possession and use of weapons after a school shooting in the country killed ten people, said Chancellor Christian Stocker in an interview today.

Stocker told radio ORF that officials intend to introduce stricter rules regarding eligibility for possessing and purchasing weapons after a 21-year-old Austrian shot ten people in a school in Graz on Tuesday before committing suicide.

- The planned measures would be aimed at meeting age requirements and how to handle certain weapons - Stocker said in a snippet of the interview to be broadcast later today.

The government plans to discuss the measures on Wednesday, said a spokesperson for the Chancellor's office.

Among the proposals are strengthening psychological expertise in schools, increasing the number of police officers in schools, improving data exchange among authorities, and tightening restrictions on weapon possession for individuals deemed to pose a risk, writes Kronen Zeitung.

Police described the attacker as an introverted person and a passionate player of online shooting games, who withdrew from the outside world before planning the attack.

Authorities have yet to determine what prompted him to open fire at the school.