Graz residents hold mass, vigil to mourn victims of deadly shooting
Several hundred people attended a mass after a former student opened fire at a school in Austria's second-biggest city – Graz – on Tuesday, killing 10 people and injuring many others before taking his own life, according to authorities.
There was no immediate information on the motive of the 21-year-old man, who had no previous police records. Two weapons were used to execute the attack, which the attacker is believed to have owned legally, police said.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker as well as Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler and Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger attended the mass at Graz Cathedral.
"It shocked me a lot like everybody else," said local resident Elisabeth Schuster.
Thinking of the victims and their loved ones, Schuster came to the mass to show her solidarity.
"I'm with them, feel for them. And I hope that together we can find a way, so that something like this never happens again," she added.
Special forces were among those sent as part of the first response team to the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school, about a kilometre from Graz's historic centre, after calls at 10 am local time reporting shots at the building.
More than 300 police officers were also deployed to the scene, who helped evacuate students from the school. Footage from the scene showed students filing out quickly past armed officers. Police said security was restored in 17 minutes.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said the gunman had been a student at the school and hadn't completed his studies.
People also gathered for a candle lit vigil in Graz's main square to mourn the victims of the fatal attack.
Footage showed dozens of the city's residents in attendance for the event to mark what has become one of the most violent attacks in the city's recent memory.
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Euronews
a day ago
- Euronews
What we know about the gunman who killed 10 in Austria school shooting
Austria is observing three days of national mourning for 10 people killed after a gunman attacked a high school in the southern city of Graz. The incident in Austria's second-largest city of some 300,000 was the deadliest mass shooting in the Alpine country's recent history. Police are investigating why the gunman, identified by authorities as a former student at the school who failed to graduate, may have carried out the attack. The perpetrator, identified by Austrian media as "Artur A", had no prior criminal record. He reportedly took his own life in the school bathroom after carrying out the attack. During a search of the alleged perpetrator's house, the police found plans for an explosive attack as well as a non-functioning pipe bomb. They also found a digital and handwritten suicide note addressed to the perpetrator's parents. "No motive can be taken from the farewell letter so far," Director of Public Security Franz Ruf told public broadcaster ORF on Tuesday evening. Local media speculated that years of bullying may have been a possible motive for the massacre. By Wednesday morning, the authority that runs hospitals in Graz said that all patients were in stable condition. Nine were still in intensive care units, with one needing a further operation on a facial wound and a second on a knee injury, while another two had been moved to regular wards. Local media report that the 21-year-old lived with his mother. A neighbour told OE24 that 'he was completely introverted.' The suspected gunman was in possession of two firearms which were seized by police after the attack. He had legally acquired both weapons and had reportedly passed the psychological evaluation required in Austria to obtain a so-called 'Category B' firearm possession card. In Austria, weapons are traditionally carried for hunting rather than for self-defence. Some weapons, such as rifles and shotguns, can be purchased from the age of 18 without a permit. Other weapons, such as repeating shotguns or semi-automatic firearms, are more difficult to acquire — buyers need a gun ownership card and a firearms pass. The rare shooting, which has led to an outpouring of grief and shock in Austria, is likely to prompt a domestic debate over whether arms should be restricted, which has more liberal gun laws and high private gun ownership relative to the rest of Europe. The mayor of the city of Graz, Elke Kahr, has already called for a complete ban on private weapons. Gun licenses are "issued too quickly," she said in the aftermath of the tragedy. The case would be examined and gaps would be closed, Ruf said. The perpetrator was not allowed to carry the weapons outside of his home, he added. Local media speculated that the school was unprepared for an attack of this scale, given that school shootings are rare in Austria. Director of Public Security Franz Ruf stated that investigations will be launched to explore how schools can better implement preventive and protective measures to avoid similar tragedies in the future. Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker called the tragedy "incomprehensible". "Schools must remain places of peace – places where children can grow and learn," he said. The government added that numerous crisis intervention teams have been set up to support the victims and their families, including a hotline for those affected. "The school must be a safe place for everyone, where students can develop. Everyone who needs help after today's crime should get help," Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr said. Martin Jäger, Germany's ambassador to Ukraine, is set to become the new head of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), German media reported on Wednesday, citing government sources. Jäger will replace Bruno Kahl as Germany's spy chief, with Kahl set to take up the ambassadorship to the Vatican. The German government has yet to officially confirm the change. Jäger is considered an experienced crisis diplomat due to his role as German ambassador to Ukraine, a post he has filled since 2023, the year after Russia's full-scale invasion of the country. He previously served as ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan. In Germany, Jäger, a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, worked as a spokesperson for the finance ministry, then headed by Wolfgang Schäuble. He also worked as state secretary in the Ministry of the Interior. The Federal Intelligence Service is subordinate to the chancellery and therefore under Friedrich Merz, who is authorised to appoint the president. The BND is tasked with collecting and evaluating information of foreign and security policy significance and supplying the federal government with reports and analyses. The BND is one of the few government agencies authorised to use intelligence services such as espionage. According to German outlets, the German government is planning a fundamental reorganisation of the intelligence service and wants to provide the BND with more funding. The BND is also to be given more flexibility in terms of spying abroad and technical reconnaissance, according to the domestic press.
France 24
a day ago
- France 24
Accused of 'terrorism' at 15 years old: The tragic story of Rhianan Rudd
Austrian papers are in mourning after the attack on a school in Graz that left 10 people dead and many wounded. Kurier reports that Austria is in tears, after the nation's deadliest post-war mass shooting. "Amoklauf", German for a run of lunacy or a killing spree, is a term that's used in a lot of the coverage. The Salzgeber Nachrichten is also in mourning with a blacked-out front page. Die Presse, meanwhile, is just asking "Warum": Why? The paper also asks if this tragedy could have been avoided. The front page of the tabloid Kronen Zeitung is a still from a video taken by a student as they escaped the school building. France is also in shock after a teaching assistant was stabbed to death by a 14-year-old pupil. The daily Aujourd'hui en France remembers the victim Melanie on its front page. Le Figaro says that France is in shock and reports that the young pupil had previously been punished for bullying. Libération is also discussing the murder on its front page, saying that the incident has revived the debate on knife control. The Financial Times has a long read about the story of Rhianan Rudd. In 2021, she became the youngest girl in the UK to be charged with crimes of terrorism at just 15 years old. Those charges were later dropped, and authorities recognised that Rhianan had been groomed, and was later considered to be a victim under modern slavery legislation. But she took her own life in 2022 while living in a care home. Her story has led to a re-evaluation of how teenage radicalisation and extremism is understood. The UN Population Fund has just released its new report looking at why people are not having children. Al Jazeera reports that money, not infertility, is the cause of plummeting birth rates. According to the UN, some 39 percent of people say that financial limitations prevent them from having a child. Meanwhile, The Times of London is discussing a new solution to phone addiction in young children that has been suggested in the UK. "No Ball Game" signs could be banned in the UK, in an attempt to get children back outside and away from their phones.
Euronews
a day ago
- Euronews
Austria's gun laws come under scrutiny after 10 die in school shooting
A day after a gunman attacked a school in Graz and killed 10, including students, many in Austria were left questioning how such an act of violence could occur, turning attention to the country's gun laws. According to police, the 21-year-old attacker legally owned both weapons used in the assault on Tuesday: a Glock pistol and a shotgun. According to Kleine Zeitung newspaper, the attacker had purchased one of the weapons just days before carrying out the attack. To acquire it legally, he was required to pass a psychological evaluation, Süddeutsche Zeitung reported, citing Austrian authorities. Around 1.5 million weapons are registered in Austria - a country with a population of just over 9 million and more liberal gun laws relative to the rest of Europe. After the attack, a debate on the country's laws is gaining pace, with Graz Mayor Elke Kahr calling for a ban on weapons in the private sector on Tuesday evening. In her opinion, gun licences are "simply issued too quickly". Austrian newspaper Der Standard reported that there are approximately 400,000 more weapons in the Alpine country today than there were five years ago. Compared to other European countries such as Germany or France, Austria's gun laws are considered to be somewhat more liberal, especially in how they allow for handgun ownership and cite self-defence as a reason to be able to carry weapons. Austria's Weapons Act divides firearms into four categories: Prohibited weapons (category A), firearms subject to authorisation (category B), firearms subject to registration (category C) and other firearms (category D). The possession of category B weapons — such as pistols or semi-automatic rifles — is only permitted with a firearms licence or a firearms pass. The latter also authorises the holder to carry the weapon in public. Category C and D weapons — such as hunting rifles — may be purchased from the age of 18, but must be registered in the Central Weapons Register within six weeks. In Austria, the basic requirements for legal possession of weapons include being of legal age, holding a permanent residence permit, and not having a weapons ban. Depending on the weapon category, additional proof such as reliability, training, and evidence of justification may also be required. Weapons and ammunition must be stored safely at home, usually in a gun cabinet, and may only be transported unloaded and in a locked container. Austrian authorities have widely condemned the attack, said to be Austria's worst mass shooting since World War II. Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen said the 'horror could not be put into words', while Chancellor Christian Stocker has declared three days of national mourning in response to the tragedy.
