8 Killed in Graz School Shooting – Gunman Confirmed Dead in Austria Tragedy
The shooter was among the dead; local police said the situation was “secured
he scene of a shooting at a school in Graz, Austria on June 10, 2025 | Photo Credit: AP
At least eight people were killed in a shooting at a school in the Austrian city of Graz on Tuesday (June 10, 2025), and the suspected perpetrator also died, the city’s mayor said.
Mayor Elke Kahr described the events as a “terrible tragedy,” the Austria Press Agency reported. It added that the fatalities were seven students and one adult. Kahr said that many people were taken to hospitals with injuries.
Police said they believe the assailant acted alone.
Special forces were among those sent to the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school, about a kilometer (over half a mile) from Graz’s historic center, after a call at 10 a.m. At 11.30 a.m., police wrote on social network X that the school had been evacuated and everyone had been taken to a safe meeting point. They wrote that the situation was “secured” and there is no longer believed to be any danger.
Police deployed in large numbers, with police and other emergency vehicles guarding the area around the school and with at least one police helicopter flying above the area, according to photos published by the regional newspaper Kleine Zeitung.
Graz, Austria’s second-biggest city, is located in the southeast of the country and has about 300,000 inhabitants.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, who is going to Graz, said the shooting “is a national tragedy that deeply shocks our whole country.”
“There are no words for the pain and grief that all of us — the whole of Austria — feel now,” he wrote in a statement posted on X.
President Alexander Van der Bellen said that “this horror cannot be captured in words.”
“These were young people who had their whole lives ahead of them. A teacher who accompanied them on their way,” he said.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner was also on his way to Graz.
“Schools are symbols for youth, hope and the future,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X. “It is hard to bear when schools become places of death and violence.”
A devastating school shooting unfolded today in Graz, Austria, resulting in at least eight fatalities, including seven students and one adult. The suspected gunman is also confirmed dead, marking this as one of Austria’s deadliest school attacks in recent memory.
The tragedy occurred at BORG Dreierschützengasse, a high school located approximately one kilometer from Graz’s historic city center. At around 10:00 AM local time, emergency services received reports of an active shooter on the premises. Specialized police units, including the Cobra counter-terrorism squad, were swiftly deployed to the scene. By 11:30 AM, authorities confirmed that the school had been evacuated, and all students and staff were relocated to a secure assembly point. The situation was declared “secured,” with no further immediate danger to the public.
Initial reports indicate that the assailant acted alone. The fatalities include seven students and one adult, with several others injured and transported to nearby hospitals. The gunman was found deceased at the scene, though the exact circumstances of his death remain under investigation.
Mayor Elke Kahr described the incident as a “terrible tragedy,” expressing profound sorrow for the victims and their families. Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker labeled the attack a “national tragedy that deeply shocks our whole country,” while President Alexander Van der Bellen condemned the act as “horror that cannot be captured in words.”
European leaders have also expressed their condolences. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen remarked, “Schools are symbols for youth, hope, and the future. It is hard to bear when schools become places of death and violence.” The European Union’s foreign policy chief and Austria’s foreign minister both conveyed their shock and sympathy in response to the attack.
This incident is particularly poignant as it occurs just days before the tenth anniversary of the 2015 Graz shooting, which resulted in three deaths. The recurrence of such violence raises pressing questions about gun control, mental health support, and the safety of educational institutions in Austria and beyond.
As investigations continue, authorities are working to understand the motives behind this tragic event and to ensure the safety of all citizens. The community of Graz, along with the entire nation, is left grappling with the aftermath of this senseless act of violence.
For those seeking more information or wishing to offer support, local authorities have established helplines and are coordinating with national organizations to assist victims and their families during this difficult time.
This tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the need for continued vigilance and proactive measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
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