Austria's Deadliest School Shooting: What Unfolded in Graz
The Austria school shooting at Dreierschützengasse secondary school in Graz on June 10, 2025, has left the country reeling. At about 10:30 in the morning, a 21-year-old former student, Artur A., appeared outside the school and began shooting, marking the beginning of what would become Austria’s darkest day in modern history.
Witnesses described confusion and terror as the first shots rang out beyond the school gates. Eyewitnesses reported children sprinting from the courtyard while teachers did their best to usher students to safety. But the attack was just starting: Artur A. moved into the building, heading for the second floor. Roughly 40 gunshots echoed through hallways and classrooms within minutes, catching teachers and students by surprise. Police say he used two legally owned firearms; investigators later confirmed he was a former student with no known criminal history.
When the alarm was raised, emergency services sprang into action. Police and paramedics arrived on scene in under five minutes. Officers rushed inside and declared the situation under control by 11:20 CEST, only to find that the gunman had ended his own life in a school bathroom. This swift response likely prevented an even higher death toll.
Inside, the trauma was immediate and raw. One mother shared the nightmare of answering her son’s call in the middle of the attack, his voice filled with panic as he feared he would die. Her relief came only later, when she learned he had survived his ordeal—an experience shared by many families swept up in the chaos. Students described barricading doors and hiding under desks as shots rang out. Red Cross ambulances rushed 11 injured students and teachers to nearby hospitals, transforming the Helmut List Halle event center into a makeshift triage point for the mass casualty event.
Community in Mourning and Search for Answers
Graz had never seen anything like this. By evening, thousands had gathered in the city's central square, holding candles and sharing tears in a vigil for victims and survivors. Schools across the region provided crisis counselors, and flags flew at half-mast on public buildings. Many in the community struggled to make sense of how a young man, armed with legal guns, could inflict so much pain in minutes.
The details surrounding Artur A.’s past remain unclear. Police addressed early confusion when local news reports mistakenly gave his age as 22; officials corrected it to 21 after reviewing records. Background checks for gun ownership are now under scrutiny. Authorities are urging anyone with photos, videos, or information from the scene to upload evidence via the police’s digital platform, hoping clues from students’ phones or school cameras might help untangle what led to this tragedy.
The Dreierschützengasse shooting stands as Austria’s deadliest modern rampage, overshadowing previous isolated attacks. Red Cross coordinators said their mass casualty protocol—which includes quick triage, rapid transport, and psychological support—had rarely been triggered on this scale. On social media, Austrians and international leaders shared condolences and debated what lessons might be drawn.
For now, the memories of those who lived through that morning—and those whose loved ones did not—will linger. The Graz community, shaken and grieving, is left to search for meaning in the aftermath of an event that has changed their city forever.
