A devastating tragedy unfolded on Tuesday in the southern Austrian city of Graz, where a gunman opened fire at a secondary school, killing at least nine people in what is now considered the country’s worst school shooting in modern history.
Police confirmed that the attacker, believed to be a 22-year-old former student of the school, also died at the scene. Authorities are operating under the assumption that he acted alone. National broadcaster ORF reported that approximately 30 individuals were wounded during the incident, with most of the deceased being students.
“The rampage at a school in Graz is a national tragedy that has deeply shaken our entire country,” Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker said in a heartfelt statement. “There are no words for the pain and grief that we all, all of Austria, are feeling right now.”
Witnesses recounted scenes of chaos as police quickly set up a perimeter around the school, evacuating students and staff while securing the area. Relatives of the victims and other students were provided with immediate care and support.
Local newspapers, including the Kurier and Salzburger Nachrichten, identified the suspect as an Austrian national who had no prior criminal record. Reports suggest that he had recently purchased one of the weapons used in the attack. The gunman, said to have been a victim of bullying during his time at the school, carried both a pistol and a shotgun. He targeted pupils in two classrooms, one of which was his former class.
Police were alerted to the shooting around 10 a.m. local time after shots were heard echoing through the hallways. The Kronen Zeitung tabloid reported that the suspect was found dead in a bathroom, though details surrounding his death remain unclear.
Julia Ebner, an extremism expert at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, noted that such incidents are rare in Austria compared to other countries. “This appears to be the worst school shooting in Austria’s post-war history,” she commented, highlighting the shock felt nationwide.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed her condolences on social media platform X, stating, “Every child should feel safe at school and be able to learn free from fear and violence. My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the Austrian people in this dark moment.”
The investigation continues as the nation mourns the loss of young lives and grapples with the implications of this unprecedented act of violence.
