At least ten people were killed in a devastating school shooting in Austria on June 10, 2025, when a former student opened fire at a high school in Graz. The assailant, a 21-year-old man who had previously attended the school but did not graduate, carried out the attack before apparently taking his own life. This incident marks one of the deadliest school shootings in Austrian history and has sent shockwaves through the small Alpine country.
The attack occurred at BORG Dreierschützengasse, a secondary school located in Graz, Austria’s second-largest city and a well-known university town. The shooter arrived on campus armed with both a pistol and a long gun, which authorities say he had purchased legally. While officials have not yet confirmed whether the long gun was a shotgun or a rifle, the presence of such weapons underscores the gravity of the assault.
During the rampage, the gunman killed six females and three males on school grounds. A tenth victim, a woman, later died of her injuries at a hospital. Authorities have not released the identities of the victims and have withheld details about how many of them were students, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. The gunman was found dead in a school bathroom, having apparently turned one of the weapons on himself.
The tragedy has deeply unsettled the nation. The Austrian Chancellor cleared his schedule to travel to Graz and announced three days of national mourning. In a public message, he described the attack as a national tragedy that has shaken the country to its core.
While gun violence is a regular occurrence in some parts of the world, particularly the United States, it remains a rare phenomenon in Austria. The country has relatively high civilian gun ownership, with approximately 2.6 million firearms in circulation. However, only about a third of these are registered. With roughly 30 firearms per 100 people, Austria ranks among the top nations for civilian gun holdings, but it still lags far behind the United States, where the ratio is more than 120 firearms per 100 people.
Historically, mass shootings have been infrequent in Austria. Between 2000 and 2022, only two such events were recorded. The rarity of such incidents makes this most recent tragedy even more jarring for the Austrian public, particularly as it unfolded in an educational setting.
Investigations are ongoing, with authorities working to piece together the motive and circumstances behind the attack. The nation continues to mourn the loss of life in one of the darkest days in its recent history.
