On Tuesday, June 10th, a gunman opened fire at Dreierschützengasse High School in Graz, Austria, killing nine students before taking his own life, officials confirmed. The shooting occurred around 10 a.m. local time in the city’s northwest, leaving 28 others injured and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Once gunfire was reported, authorities, including Austria’s COBRA tactical team, acted quickly to secure the school and evacuate students and staff by midday. A nearby stadium was used as a safe gathering point for students and their families. Police confirmed the area was secure and posed no further threat.
Chancellor Christian Stocker called the shooting a national tragedy and went to Graz with the interior minister to respond to the crisis. Mayor Elke Kahr described it as a “terrible tragedy.” Austria declared three days of mourning, with flags at half-mast at the president’s office in Vienna’s Hofburg Palace.
Kronen Zeitung reporter Fanny Gasser emphasized Graz’s close-knit community, noting that “everybody knows somebody” with a connection to the school. “We are not living in America, we are living in Austria, which seems like a very safe space,” she said, noting the community was unprepared for such violence. People were seen crying in the streets as they mourned the loss of friends and loved ones.
Police and COBRA units remain at the scene, collecting evidence as officials try to determine the motive behind the attack.
