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Austria has declared three days of national mourning following a deadly school shooting in the city of Graz, with the death toll now rising to 11. Among the victims are seven students, one teacher, and the suspected gunman, according to local police.
The incident happened at a school on Dreierschutzengasse around 10:00 a.m. local time (0800 GMT) on Tuesday, prompting an immediate evacuation. Students were relocated to the nearby Helmut-List-Halle, where emergency psychologists and Red Cross personnel provided urgent support.
While initial reports cited at least five fatalities, the toll has since increased as authorities confirmed additional deaths and injuries. Twelve others were wounded, several of them seriously, police said.
A large-scale response was launched by police in the state of Styria, involving multiple units including the elite Cobra special forces. By midday, officials declared the situation safe and emergency vehicles began leaving the area.
The gunman, identified as a 22-year-old Austrian man from the Graz area, was a former student of the school, although he had not completed his education there, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told reporters. Authorities believe he acted alone.
Karner confirmed that the victims included six females and three males. The attacker reportedly entered the school armed with a legally owned pistol and shotgun, opened fire in two classrooms — one of which was his former class — and then took his own life in a school bathroom, according to Austrian media outlets including Krone and Salzburger Nachrichten.
“The situation is currently very unclear. It could be an active shooter situation,” police had initially told the Austrian Press Agency, amid early uncertainty over the possibility of a second perpetrator. While the investigation continues, authorities have not ruled out that possibility.
The State Criminal Police Office of Styria is continuing its investigation into the motive behind the attack.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker announced that the nation would observe three days of mourning beginning Wednesday. He also declared a nationwide minute of silence to take place at 10:00 a.m. local time (0900 GMT) in honour of the victims.
In a statement posted on X, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen expressed profound grief:
“This horror cannot be put into words. What happened today at a school in Graz strikes our country right in the heart. They were young people with their whole lives ahead of them. A teacher who accompanied them on their journey. There is nothing that can ease the pain felt by the parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends of those who were murdered.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also responded on X, writing:
“The news from Graz hits home. My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and friends. Schools are symbols of youth, hope, and the future. It is hard to bear when schools become places of death and violence.”
Police and government officials have pledged continued support for survivors, with crisis intervention teams remaining on-site to provide assistance to students and staff.
