Tragic School Shooting in Graz, Austria Leaves Nine Dead

In a devastating incident at a Graz high school, at least nine individuals lost their lives in a mass shooting, marking it as one of Austria's most tragic attacks.

At least nine people have been killed in a tragic mass shooting that unfolded at a high school in Graz, Austria’s second-largest city, according to the city’s mayor. Authorities confirmed that the assailant was also deceased at the scene.

This incident is being recognized as the deadliest school shooting in Austria’s recent history and one of the most significant such attacks in Europe in recent times. Here’s what we know:

What are the known details of the shooting? What can we learn about the victims and the perpetrator? How frequent are mass shootings in Austria? What does gun ownership look like in the country?

During the incident, students and at least one adult were reported among the casualties, as noted by Graz Mayor Elke Kahr in statements to the Austrian Press Agency. Law enforcement revealed the shooter acted alone and was found dead at the scene.

Police responded rapidly after receiving reports of a shooting at approximately 10 a.m. local time, deploying special units along with a police helicopter. The school was evacuated later that morning, with students relocated to a nearby stadium. By noon, officials declared there was no ongoing threat.

As of now, the identities of the victims and the shooter have not been released, nor has any information regarding a possible motive.

Mass shootings are relatively uncommon in Austria, with only two incidents occurring between 2000 and 2022, both after 2010. Comparatively, the U.S. has experienced 109 mass shootings in that same timeframe. The previous significant attack in Graz happened in 2015, when a man with a history of domestic abuse killed three people in a vehicular assault followed by a stabbing.

Austria has been no stranger to terrorist-related acts; a plot targeting individuals at a Taylor Swift concert was thwarted in 2024, and a shooting incident in 2020 in Vienna claimed four lives, with the shooter having prior connections to extremist organizations.

Concerning gun ownership, Austria ranks as one of the more heavily armed nations globally, with approximately 2.6 million firearms owned by civilians, only a fraction of which are officially registered. The 2017 Small Arms Survey highlighted that Austria has about 30 firearms per 100 civilians, a stark contrast to the United States, which has around 120.5 firearms per 100 people.

In Austria, acquiring handguns, semiautomatic firearms, or repeating shotguns requires official authorization, while pump-action shotguns are prohibited.

Amelia Nierenberg is contributing to the coverage of this breaking news, bringing attention to this harrowing incident in Graz.