A man drove into a crowd in Austria.

[The Romulan Republic]

www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33211479

At least three people are dead and dozens injured after a man drove his car into crowds in a square in the Austrian city of Graz.
The driver has been arrested but police have released no further details.
Part of the city has been sealed off and emergency services have launched a major operation.
Graz is Austria's second largest city and the square was hosting an event related to the nearby Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The regional governor confirmed that three people had died and 34 were injured, some seriously.
Governor Hermann Schuetzenhoefer told reporters that the suspect arrested was a 26-year-old man, describing him as "deranged".
"There is no explanation, there is no excuse," he added.
Police said initial investigations indicated the incident was not terror-related.
Sixty ambulances and four helicopters were sent to the scene.
Eyewitness Helmut Reinisch told the BBC he saw bodies lying on the ground "covered in blood," including a young boy.
He added that the car was travelling at least 100 km/h: "It was really horrible, everybody was shocked."
null
Police have sealed off the square
The city's mayor, Siegfried Nagl, was another a witness.
"The driver deliberately drove into pedestrians. I myself saw a woman being run over," he told Kleine Zeitung.
Another witness described a lucky escape.
"I was having cappuccino on the main square when people started screaming and then there was the loud noise coming from a car engine. I leapt to safety in a nearby arcade."
null
Authorities say 60 ambulances were sent to the scene
The Austrian Grand Prix takes place this weekend in Spielberg, and it is thought that many of the city's emergency services had been deployed there. Crowds had gathered in the square to take part in a Formula 1 related event.
There are unconfirmed reports that after crashing the man left the vehicle and attacked people with a knife.
null

Good God. What is wrong with these people?

My thoughts are with all involved and their friends and family.

Also, they seem to be pretty confident about it not being terrorism pretty quickly. I wonder what evidence they have for that conclusion.

[White Haven]

A lack of evidence that it is terror-related? Seriously, terrorism is a fucking RARE thing. You don't need evidence to prove something ISN'T terrorism, you need evidence indicate that it IS. If you don't have that evidence, then you don't think it's terrorism. If that evidence turns up, initially or later, then you break out the T-word.

Seriously, why the fuck is everyone's first thought always 'holy fuck it must/might be terrorists!'

[Purple]

Seriously, why the fuck is everyone's first thought always 'holy fuck it must/might be terrorists!'

Because terrorism is shocking and scary. And that sells.

[Patroklos]

We've had a few tragic indidents in the US of senile drivers crashing into farmers markets or what not which amount to just crappy driving with no malice. This guy is twenty six so probably not that but you never know.

[Zaune]

Also, they seem to be pretty confident about it not being terrorism pretty quickly. I wonder what evidence they have for that conclusion.

They describe him as, and I quote, "deranged". I'll grant you that the line between extremism and mental sickness can be quite fine, but jumping in your car and flooring it into a crowded pedestrian zone strikes me as an odd way to carry out a premeditated terrorist attack.

[The Romulan Republic]

A lack of evidence that it is terror-related? Seriously, terrorism is a fucking RARE thing. You don't need evidence to prove something ISN'T terrorism, you need evidence indicate that it IS. If you don't have that evidence, then you don't think it's terrorism. If that evidence turns up, initially or later, then you break out the T-word.

Seriously, why the fuck is everyone's first thought always 'holy fuck it must/might be terrorists!'

I would not want to assume that something is terrorism, but it happens frequently enough that I would consider the possibility seriously until it was proven otherwise.

We've had a few tragic indidents in the US of senile drivers crashing into farmers markets or what not which amount to just crappy driving with no malice. This guy is twenty six so probably not that but you never know.

Sadly, this appears to have been a nut job deliberately ramming people, not a senile person.

More information:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/wor ... e25048472/

A man apparently distraught over personal issues drove his SUV into a crowd in Austria’s second largest city Saturday, killing three people and injuring 34 others, three of them children, officials said.

Police in the city of Graz said six of those injured, including two children, were in serious condition. They said there were no indications of a terrorist attack, and the suspect was apparently distressed over personal problems when he targeted his victims.

The governor of the Styria province, Hermann Schuetzenhoefer, described the suspect as a 26-year-old Austrian truck driver who was “mentally disoriented” and acting alone. He was arrested shortly after the incident.

Police commander Josef Klamminger told reporters that the man had been under a restraining order keeping him from the home of his wife and two children since a domestic violence report against him was filed last month. He was being psychologically evaluated after his arrest.

State broadcaster ORF cited unnamed witnesses as saying the man apparently drove his vehicle at high speed into the crowd at random, sending several people crashing into the windshield and flying over the vehicle.

About 60 ambulances converged on the scene and the Austrian auto club sent four helicopters to bring the victims to hospitals. Witnesses quoted by Austrian media said they saw at least two bodies covered with blankets lying on a cordoned-off section of pavement.

By early evening, dozens of floral bouquets and lit candles were placed at the site. Mayor Siegfried Nagl ordered black flags of mourning flown from all municipal buildings and cancelled all street fests and other city events.

In short, it appears that the killer was subject to a restraining order because of domestic violence, lost it completely, and decided to take it out on a ground of innocent people. So not necessarily something you'd call terrorism, but not an accident either.

[Gandalf]

In short, it appears that the killer was subject to a restraining order because of domestic violence, lost it completely, and decided to take it out on a ground of innocent people. So not necessarily something you'd call terrorism, but not an accident either.

Some sort of homicide, perhaps?

[The Romulan Republic]

Obviously. I'd say mass murder except that only a few people actually died.

[General Zod]

Obviously. I'd say mass murder except that only a few people actually died.

According to the FBI it takes four or more people to be a mass murder. Now I'm not familiar with Austrian law but I think it could qualify if it seems like this guy was going for more than three.

[Broomstick]

Also, they seem to be pretty confident about it not being terrorism pretty quickly. I wonder what evidence they have for that conclusion.

They describe him as, and I quote, "deranged". I'll grant you that the line between extremism and mental sickness can be quite fine, but jumping in your car and flooring it into a crowded pedestrian zone strikes me as an odd way to carry out a premeditated terrorist attack.

I'm not sure we should jump to conclusions here.

Back when I lived and worked in Chicago there was more than one instance of car-drives-into-crowd, often exacerbated by limit avenues of escape for the pedestrians involved. Usually it involved a sudden incapacitation on the part of the driver, like heart attack, stroke, or seizure, very rarely was malice the cause.

If first responders arrive and the person behind the wheel is having a seizure well, yeah, medical reason. Same if the person is delirious or something.

NOTE: speculation, not a reporting of facts in this post. Awaiting more actual information before drawing a conclusion.

[AMX]

Also, they seem to be pretty confident about it not being terrorism pretty quickly. I wonder what evidence they have for that conclusion.

They describe him as, and I quote, "deranged". I'll grant you that the line between extremism and mental sickness can be quite fine, but jumping in your car and flooring it into a crowded pedestrian zone strikes me as an odd way to carry out a premeditated terrorist attack.

I'm not sure we should jump to conclusions here.

Back when I lived and worked in Chicago there was more than one instance of car-drives-into-crowd, often exacerbated by limit avenues of escape for the pedestrians involved. Usually it involved a sudden incapacitation on the part of the driver, like heart attack, stroke, or seizure, very rarely was malice the cause.

If first responders arrive and the person behind the wheel is having a seizure well, yeah, medical reason. Same if the person is delirious or something.

NOTE: speculation, not a reporting of facts in this post. Awaiting more actual information before drawing a conclusion.

He spent several minutes trying to run over as many people as possible.
I think we can safely exclude any medical reason, other than "insanity."

[Broomstick]

See, that's what I mean by "more information".

Although I don't think "homicidal" is automatically the same as "insane".

[madd0ct0r]

He spent several minutes trying to run over as many people as possible.
I think we can safely exclude any medical reason, other than "insanity."

he then got out and stabbed a few more. nice guy.

[LaCroix]

The almost bigger tragedy is that our resident Wannabe-Hitler (Strache) is trying to use this to further his "Throw all immigrants out" propaganda. Sad, and so predictable.

[salm]

The almost bigger tragedy is that our resident Wannabe-Hitler (Strache) is trying to use this to further his "Throw all immigrants out" propaganda. Sad, and so predictable.

Eh? Wasn´t the driver Austrian?

[AMX]

The almost bigger tragedy is that our resident Wannabe-Hitler (Strache) is trying to use this to further his "Throw all immigrants out" propaganda. Sad, and so predictable.

Eh? Wasn´t the driver Austrian?

Naturalised Austrian, born in Bosnia.

Of course, he's been in the country since age 4, but that's meaningless for that sort of politician.