A tragic school shooting in the Austrian city of Graz has left at least 10 people dead, including the suspected attacker, city officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The shooting occurred just before 10 a.m. at BORG Dreierschützengasse high school. Among the victims were a teacher and several students, with at least seven students confirmed dead. Dozens of others were injured in what Mayor Elke Kahr described as a “tragedy.”
According to local reports, the suspect was a 22-year-old former student who had allegedly been a victim of bullying. He entered the school armed with a pistol and a shotgun, opening fire in two classrooms before being found dead in the school toilets. Witnesses reported hearing up to 20 gunshots as the chaos unfolded, with one teacher reportedly barricading her class inside for safety.
Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung identified the gunman as an ex-pupil, and Salzburger Nachrichten cited unconfirmed reports suggesting the suspect died by suicide.
Special forces responded swiftly, evacuating the school within 90 minutes and securing the scene. Authorities transported students and staff to safety, with reunifications between families and children taking place at designated centers such as the Helmut List Hall and the ASKÖ Hall.
Chancellor Christian Stocker called the incident a "national tragedy" and extended his condolences: “There are no words for the pain and grief that we are all feeling right now.”
Austria’s Minister for European and International Affairs, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, expressed her heartbreak on social media: "As a mother of three children, it breaks my heart. My sympathy and grief go out to the victims and their families."
European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas echoed the sentiment, stating, “Every child should feel safe at school and be able to learn free from fear and violence.”
Graz, Austria’s second-largest city, has a population of about 300,000. The last major incident of gun violence in Austria occurred in 2020, when a convicted jihadist killed four and injured 22 in Vienna. In 1997, six people were killed in Mauterndorf before the shooter took his own life.
Austria maintains strict gun regulations. While rifles and shotguns are allowed with proper licensing, handguns and semi-automatic weapons require official authorization, and machine guns are banned.
As investigations continue, the nation grapples with the shock of a tragedy that has shattered the sense of safety in its school communities.