BREAKING: AUSTRIA: 11 dead, 40 injured after shocking school shooting

A horrific school shooting at the Bundesoberstufenrealgymnasium (BORG) Dreierschützengasse in Graz, Austria, claimed at least five lives this morning (Tuesday), shocking the nation. The attack, which unfolded around 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. ET), left several students and teachers injured, with Austrian police and the elite Cobra tactical unit launching a sweeping response. Authorities believe the shooter, reportedly a student at the school, died by suicide in a school bathroom after the rampage, according to Austria’s public broadcaster ORF and local media.

Details of the Attack

The shooting occurred at BORG Dreierschützengasse, a secondary school in northwest Graz, Austria’s second-largest city with a population of about 300,000. Initial reports from Kronen Zeitung and other outlets confirmed 11 fatalities. The exact number of injuries remains unclear, but emergency services are treating victims on-site, with medics working under heavy police protection.

Police have sealed off Dreierschützengasse street near Graz’s central train station, urging residents to avoid the area. A helicopter is aiding the operation, and officers are conducting a thorough search of the school to ensure no additional threats remain. While multiple firearms may have been used, authorities have not confirmed details about the weaponry or whether the shooter acted alone.

Suspected Shooter

Preliminary reports indicate the perpetrator was a pupil at BORG Dreierschützengasse who took their own life in a school toilet immediately after the attack. The shooter’s identity, motive, and potential accomplices are under investigation, with police withholding further details pending a full review. The involvement of a student as the perpetrator has heightened concerns about school safety in Austria, where such incidents are exceptionally rare.

Austria’s Rare Encounter with School Violence

This tragedy marks one of the deadliest school shootings in Austrian history, a country with stringent gun laws and few such incidents. According to World Population Review, Austria recorded only two prior school shootings: a 2012 incident involving a father killing his son in a school cloakroom and a 2018 thwarted attack that injured one person. The 2015 Graz vehicle attack, which killed three, remains a grim precedent for mass violence in the city, though unrelated to schools. In contrast, countries like the U.S. reported over 300 school shootings in 2022 and 2023, per The Violence Project, showing Austria’s relative insulation from this issue until now.

Austrian police have confirmed fatalities but are withholding specifics to respect ongoing notifications to families. The Interior Ministry is overseeing the response, with no indication yet of a terrorist motive, distinguishing this from the 2020 Vienna attack that killed five. Emergency services are prioritizing victim care, and the school remains an active scene as investigators gather evidence.

Authorities are focused on determining the shooter’s motive, with potential factors like bullying, mental health issues, or social isolation under scrutiny, though no conclusions have been drawn. The use of multiple guns, if confirmed, could prompt a review of Austria’s firearm regulations. Police are expected to release further details as the investigation progresses, with ORF and other outlets providing live updates.