Are School Shootings On The Rise In Europe? 5 Cases In Five Years Paint Worrying Picture
From Prague to Örebro, despite stricter gun laws, a surge of school attacks across Europe underscores the need for mental health support.
School shootings are unfortunately more prevalent in the US than in Europe. The US experiences multiple school shootings annually, often with high casualties, while Europe has seen comparatively few such incidents over recent decades. Between 1987 and 2025, Europe witnessed at least 22 mass shootings, with fewer than half targeting schools, colleges, or universities.
The 1996 Dunblane massacre and Germany's 2002 Erfurt shooting, among Europe's deadliest, each resulted in 16 deaths, but such incidents were widely perceived as anomalies. However, while school shootings remain rare in Europe compared to North America, the recent Graz tragedy contributes to a growing list of attacks, including smaller but serious incidents in countries like Sweden, Serbia, and Czechia.
In May 2023, Serbia experienced two school attacks. In Belgrade, a 13-year-old gunman killed eight classmates and a security guard. Two days later, another shooter opened fire in a nearby village, killing eight and wounding fourteen before being apprehended. The Belgrade shooter reportedly pre-planned the attack using his father's legally owned pistols and Molotov cocktails. Initially remorseless, he reportedly sought notoriety. Described as an excellent student with no prior disciplinary record, his actions shocked the public and officials. The Mladenovac village shooter acted out of personal grievances and emotional instability; the attack was described as random and indiscriminate. These two attacks led Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić to announce stricter firearm regulations and tighter gun ownership controls.
The December 2023 shooting at Charles University in Prague, perpetrated by a 24-year-old student, is considered the deadliest mass shooting in Czechia's modern history. Czech authorities described the shooter as a lone wolf influenced by foreign mass shootings, particularly those in the United States. The suspect reportedly experienced mental health issues and expressed nihilistic views. Before the university attack, he had murdered his father and was suspected of another double homicide.
On 4 February 2025, a shooting at Campus Risbergska, an adult education centre in Örebro, Sweden, resulted in eleven deaths, including the shooter, and six injuries. The shooter, 35-year-old Rickard Andersson, likely acted due to suicidal motives, targeting the school because of his past connection as a former student who had not completed his studies.
These incidents, while distinct, highlight a concerning trend of violence in European educational settings. Motivations vary, from personal grievances to external influences, but a common factor appears to be underlying mental health issues. While specific triggers and circumstances differ, mental health struggles are increasingly recognised as a significant factor, overshadowing cases directly linked to terrorism.
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