A devastating school shooting occurred in Graz, Austria, leaving nine people dead, including the suspected gunman, and several others injured. The incident took place at the Bundesoberstufenrealgymnasium Dreierschützengasse school in northwest Graz, near the city’s central train station. Austrian police confirmed the fatalities, raising the death toll from an earlier figure of eight.
The victims included children between 14 and 18 years old, according to the country’s interior ministry. The perpetrator is believed to have killed himself after the shooting, with local media reporting that he shot himself in the school toilet. Several people are seriously injured, with 28 being treated for their injuries in hospital.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker expressed horror at the shooting, writing on X: “The rampage at a school in Graz is a national tragedy that has deeply shaken our entire country. This inconceivable act suddenly tore young people from the life they still had ahead of them. There are no words for the pain and grief.” Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, also condemned the shooting, saying: “It is difficult to bear when schools become places of death and violence.”
The police responded quickly to the incident, deploying several vehicles and a police helicopter to the site. The school was evacuated, and the area was secured, with no further danger expected. The police said on social media that the situation was “secured” and everyone had been taken to a safe meeting point.
Gun violence is rare in Austria, with the country’s rate of firearm homicides being just 0.1 per 100,000 people in 2021. However, Austria’s gun ownership is higher than most European Union countries, with 30 civilian firearms owned for every 100 citizens. The incident has sparked concern and grief, with three days of mourning declared in Austria.