By Necva Tastan Sevinc
ISTANBUL (AA) - A non-functional pipe bomb was discovered during a house search at the residence of the 22-year-old attacker who carried out a deadly shooting at his former school in the Austrian city of Graz, police said on Wednesday.
According to the Styrian State Police Directorate, the improvised explosive device was found on Tuesday, shortly after the attacker fatally shot himself following the incident, the Austrian Press Agency reported.
The authorities also recovered a farewell video he had sent to his mother, along with a suicide note.
Police spokesperson Sabri Yorgun said the suspect had legally obtained both the shotgun and the pistol used in the attack, adding: "He should not have been carrying them under any circumstances."
While some media outlets suggested the perpetrator may have been bullied in the past, the police declined to confirm this, and further details about his time at the school remain unclear.
Meanwhile, Austrian authorities have reported a series of threats inspired by the attack. Franz Ruf, director general for Public Security, told public broadcaster O1 on Wednesday morning that "several copycat offenders" had made threats in the wake of the shooting.
The Styrian police confirmed that investigations are underway but refrained from describing the suspects as copycats.
"There has been no further shooting spree, but there are suspects who are now seizing on the fact that such an incident occurred," said Yorgun.
The death toll from Tuesday's school shooting in Graz has risen to 10, including seven students, one teacher, and the suspected gunman, according to police.
The shooting occurred at a school at around 10 a.m. local time (0800GMT), prompting a swift evacuation.
Three days of national mourning have been declared, starting Wednesday morning.