A former student killed 10 people and injured 12 others in a shooting at BORG Dreierschützengasse high school in Graz, Austria on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, before taking his own life in what authorities described as the country’s deadliest postwar mass shooting.
The gunman, identified as a 21-year-old Austrian national, opened fire inside two classrooms at approximately 10 a.m. local time. Police received emergency calls about the shooting and arrived within minutes, deploying more than 300 officers including special forces units. The school was evacuated by 11:30 a.m., with all students and staff taken to a safe meeting point.
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner confirmed that six female and three male victims died at the scene. Among the fatalities were eight students, one adult believed to be a teacher, and the gunman himself. A tenth victim, a woman who had been critically injured, later died at Graz Regional Hospital. Twelve others sustained injuries, with some remaining in serious condition.
The shooter was found dead in a school bathroom, having died by suicide. Karner indicated that the suspect was a former student who had not graduated from the school. The gunman used two legally owned firearms – a pistol and a shotgun – and had no prior criminal record or warnings on file with authorities.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker declared three days of national mourning following the attack. “The school shooting in Graz is a national tragedy that has deeply shocked our entire country,” he stated during a press conference. The chancellor announced a nationwide minute of silence scheduled for 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday, with flags to be flown at half-staff on all public buildings.
Emergency responders, including 160 Red Cross personnel, paramedics, and tactical units, converged on the scene. A helicopter was deployed as part of the rescue operation. Students and families received support from crisis intervention teams at a nearby sports facility, while the ASKÖ Stadium served as a designated meeting point for parents.
The attack occurred at the 400-student secondary school located in Austria’s second-largest city, which has approximately 300,000 residents. Graz sits in the southeastern Styria province, about 200 kilometers southwest of Vienna. The area around the school was cordoned off and public transportation was diverted as authorities secured the scene.
According to local media reports citing police sources, a farewell note was discovered at the suspect’s residence, though authorities have not released details about its contents or provided information about the gunman’s motive. Some reports suggested the shooter had been a victim of bullying, but police have not confirmed this information.
The incident represents the deadliest attack in Austria’s postwar history. Previous significant attacks in the country include a 2020 shooting in Vienna that killed four people and injured 23 others, carried out by an Islamic State sympathizer. In 2019, a man killed his ex-girlfriend, her family, and her new boyfriend in the Alpine resort town of Kitzbuehel.
Austria maintains relatively liberal gun ownership laws within the European Union, with approximately 30 firearms per 100 people. Rifles and shotguns requiring manual reloading can be purchased from age 18 without permits, while other weapons like semi-automatic firearms require gun ownership cards and firearms passes. All weapons used in the attack were legally obtained and registered.
European leaders expressed condolences following the shooting. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted that schools should be symbols of youth and hope. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that schools should never become places of violence. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán also offered sympathy to Austria.
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen reflected on the impact of the attack, noting that the victims were young people with their whole lives ahead of them. The president emphasized that nothing could ease the pain felt by families, grandparents, siblings, and friends of those killed.
Mass shootings remain rare in Austria, which ranks among the world’s 10 safest countries according to the Global Peace Index. The country of 9.2 million people has experienced few public attacks unrelated to terrorism. Memorial services were held at Graz Cathedral, with flowers and candles placed outside the school as the community began processing the unprecedented violence.
