Deadly School Shooting in Southeastern Austria Leaves Multiple Dead, Including Suspect
On a quiet morning in Graz, Austria, a sense of normalcy at a local high school was shattered by an unthinkable act.
The city, known for its calm and safety, faced a tragedy that left the nation in shock.
What happened at BORG Dreierschützengasse high school on June 10, 2025, has to be one of the darkest moments in Austria’s recent history.
Austria School Shooting: A Devastating Attack
At around 10 a.m., gunshots rang out at BORG Dreierschützengasse, a secondary school in Graz, Austria’s second-largest city.
A 22-year-old former student, reportedly a victim of bullying, entered the school armed with a pistol and a shotgun. He opened fire in two classrooms, targeting students and staff.
The attack left at least nine people dead, including seven students and one adult, with the gunman also taking his own life in a school restroom.
Twenty-eight others were injured, with four in critical condition, overwhelming local hospitals. Emergency services, including 158 paramedics and the elite Cobra tactical unit, responded swiftly, evacuating the school and securing the area.
Graz Mayor Elke Kahr called it a “terrible tragedy,” and Chancellor Christian Stocker described it as a “national tragedy” that struck at the heart of the country.
Community and National Response
The aftermath of the shooting saw Graz and Austria come together in grief. Students who escaped were reunited with their parents, while crisis intervention teams provided support.
Two care centers were set up near the school to help those affected. Austrian leaders, including Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, rushed to the scene. All political events were canceled as the nation mourned.
European leaders, like European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, expressed condolences. She noted that schools should be places of “hope and future,” not violence.
The incident, one of Austria’s worst mass shootings, has sparked discussions about school safety and gun laws, despite the country’s strict regulations and low firearm homicide rates.
A Rare Tragedy in a Safe Nation
Austria, with a population of about 9.2 million, is among the world’s safest countries, ranking high on the Global Peace Index.
School shootings are rare in Europe compared to the United States, making this event particularly shocking.
The shooter’s motives are still under investigation, but reports suggest bullying may have played a role.
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