A Quiet City Shaken by Violence
Graz is known as a peaceful, safe city. But that peace was broken on Tuesday morning around 10:00, when a 21-year-old man went into a secondary school on Dreierschützengasse street and started shooting.
The man was a former student of the school. He had two guns and walked into the school while classes were happening. Some students were even taking their final exams. The shooting caused panic inside the building.
The Victims
At first, police said nine people were killed in the school—six girls and three boys. Later in the day, a tenth victim, an adult woman, died in hospital. That brought the total to 10 victims, plus the shooter, who took his own life in a school bathroom.
Austrian media reported that seven of the dead were students at the school. Many others were hurt, with at least 12 people injured, some in critical condition.
The Shooter: A Former Student
The attacker was a young Austrian man from the Graz area. He did not graduate from the school and had reportedly felt bullied during his time there. He was not known to police before the attack and had no criminal record.
He legally owned the two guns he used—a pistol and a shotgun. Police said he had a firearms licence, and one of the guns was bought just a day before the shooting.
Emergency Response: 17 Minutes of Horror
Police received calls after gunshots were heard coming from inside the school. A special police unit called Cobra, trained for dangerous situations, arrived quickly.
In just 17 minutes, police had the situation under control. They evacuated students and teachers from the building and confirmed that the threat was over.
Eyewitnesses Describe the Attack
People living near the school also heard the gunfire. A woman named Astrid, who lives next to the school, said:
“I heard many shots, one after the other. It sounded like maybe 30 to 40 shots. I told my husband, ‘Someone is shooting!’ He thought it was something else at first. But it was real.”
Her husband, Franz, added that they saw a student at a window looking ready to jump, but then he went back inside. They also saw a teacher trying to help.
Community in Mourning: "It Shouldn’t Happen Here"
The city of Graz held a candlelight vigil on Tuesday night. Thousands of people, many of them young, came to the city’s main square. They stood silently, cried, and lit candles for the victims.
One man, Felix Platzer, said:
“This is my home. I can’t understand how something like this happened here. So many young people are gone. We all feel this loss together.”
People placed the candles on the steps of the Archbishop Johann Fountain, a landmark in front of the city hall. It became a symbol of the city’s pain and unity.
National Leaders Respond: "A Dark Day for Austria"
Austria’s President Alexander Van der Bellen said the shooting was:
“A horror that cannot be put into words. It hits our country right in the heart.”
He offered sympathy to the families and friends of the victims and said there was nothing that could take away their pain.
Chancellor Christian Stocker rushed to Graz with Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. He called the shooting:
“A national tragedy that has shaken all of Austria.”
He added:
“A school is more than a place to learn. It should be a place of safety, comfort, and hope. That trust has been broken.”
Three Days of Mourning Declared
The Austrian government has declared three days of national mourning. A minute of silence will be held across the country at 10:00 on Wednesday.
Flags on public buildings, including the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, where the President’s office is, are flying at half-mast.
Austria and Guns: Rare but Serious Incidents
Austria has one of the highest numbers of civilian gun owners in Europe, with about 30 guns per 100 people, according to the Small Arms Survey.
Gun ownership is allowed, but rules are strict. Machine guns and pump-action shotguns are banned, while other guns like pistols and rifles require licenses. The Graz gunman had followed these rules.
School shootings in Austria are rare, but there have been a few cases in the past:
- 2018: A 19-year-old was shot by another youth in Mistelbach
- 2012: A student in St. Pölten was killed by his father
- 1997: A 15-year-old in Zöbern killed a teacher
- 1993: A 13-year-old in Hausleiten injured a teacher and took his own life
The most violent gun attack in recent years happened in Vienna in 2020, when a terrorist killed four people and injured 22 others.
Calls for Reflection and Unity
Many Austrians are now asking how such a thing could happen. Journalist Fanny Gasser, from the Kronen Zeitung, said:
“Everybody in Graz knows someone from that school. Even though it’s Austria’s second-largest city, it still feels small in moments like this.”
The local mayor, Elke Kahr, said the event was a terrible tragedy.
European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas also responded, saying:
“Every child should feel safe at school and be able to learn without fear or violence.”
Post a Comment
0Comments