Deadly shots at a school in Graz: Nation in shock and sadness!

Deadly shots at a school in Graz: Nation in shock and sadness!

On June 10, 2025, at around 10 a.m., a tragic crime occurred at the Federal Oberstuferealgymnasium (BORG) in Graz, Austria, in which several people were killed by gunfire. According to SWR, nine people died, including seven students and two teachers. Some eyewitnesses report a shooting that shocked the school community.

The perpetrator, a 21-year-old former student of the school, could legally be in possession of a long gun and a handgun. He acted alone and opened fire in the classrooms before ultimately taking his own life. The exact number of injured is twelve, although some of them had to be taken to hospital with serious injuries. The first shot was fired in the morning and it is believed that the perpetrator had not completed any training at school.

Reactions and sadness

Austria's Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) has declared three days of national mourning in honor of the tragedy. Flags will be flown at half-mast on all public buildings. A nationwide minute of mourning is planned tomorrow to remember the victims. Stocker described the incidents as a national tragedy. The scale of what happened shocked society as a whole. Psychologists and therapists assist those affected to support rapid emotional processing.

The police authorities are deploying around 300 personnel, including helicopters, to secure the situation and care for the injured. The special alarm plan to care for the injured was activated. The authorities have launched a call not to share images or videos of the incident on social networks, but to upload them confidentially to an Interior Ministry website. A preliminary investigation has begun, but the perpetrator's motive remains unclear and initial analyzes suggest an amok attack.

Security policy in Rhineland-Palatinate

Parallel to the tragic events in Graz, the state government of Rhineland-Palatinate is planning to strengthen the arms industry. Around 25 companies and research institutions presented themselves at a forum on the security and defense industry, while other companies were present as guests. Through this initiative, the ministry hopes for more cooperation between industry, research and the Bundeswehr. Another date for the forum next year is already being planned and is intended to have a larger dimension.

The shocking event in Graz and the accompanying security debates in Rhineland-Palatinate show how closely the issues of security and social stability are linked. Today will certainly remain in the memory of everyone involved, marked by sadness and the pursuit of solutions.