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Austria's Deadliest School Shooting Leaves 9 Dead in Graz
A former student killed 9 and injured 12 in a tragic school shooting in Graz, Austria's worst in modern history. National mourning declared.
ND
by News Desk
2025-06-10
Austria's Deadliest School Shooting Leaves 9 Dead in Graz

A 21-year-old former pupil opened fire at a secondary school in the southern city of Graz on Tuesday, killing nine individuals and injuring 12 others before taking his own life. Authorities have called it the deadliest school shooting in Austria’s modern history.

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner confirmed that six male and three female victims lost their lives in the attack, most of them believed to be students. The shooter, an Austrian national, was discovered dead in a bathroom on school grounds after the rampage.

The motive behind the horrifying act remains unclear. However, local media outlets reported that the gunman may have been a victim of bullying. Armed with both a pistol and a shotgun, he reportedly entered two classrooms — including one he previously attended — and opened fire.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker described the incident as a “dark day in the history of our country,” announcing three days of national mourning. A minute of silence will be observed nationwide at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

“The rampage at a school in Graz is a national tragedy that has deeply shaken our entire country,” Stocker said during a press conference held in Graz. “There are no words for the pain and grief that we all — all of Austria — are feeling right now.”

Police responded swiftly after receiving reports of gunfire around 10:00 a.m., securing the area and evacuating the school. A perimeter was set up several hundred meters away, with relatives of the victims receiving on-site support.

Extremism researcher Julia Ebner noted that school shootings are exceedingly rare in Austria compared to nations like the United States, underscoring the deep shock this event has caused.

International leaders have also expressed condolences. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sent a message to Stocker, stating: “We hope that their loved ones can find comfort in the company of their families and friends in this dark hour.”

Austria, despite its relatively low crime rate, has a significant number of civilian-owned firearms—an estimated 30 per 100 people, according to the Small Arms Survey. This tragedy follows a 2020 terrorist shooting in Vienna that left four dead and another mass shooting in 1997 that claimed six lives.

Authorities have urged patience as they continue a detailed investigation into the shooter’s background, possible motives, and the events that led up to the massacre.

 
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GunViolence

GrazShooting

AustriaMourns

SchoolTragedy
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