The mayor of Graz calls for a drastic ban on weapons after the rampage

The mayor of Graz calls for a drastic ban on weapons after the rampage

After the tragic rampage in Graz, in which eleven people lost their lives on June 11, 2025, the mayor of Graz, Elke Kahr (KPÖ), is calling for radical measures to improve gun safety. The perpetrator, a 21-year-old man named Artur A., ​​used two legally purchased firearms in his attack. Kahr advocates a comprehensive ban on privately owned firearms and demands that only the executive branch should have the right to bear arms. In her speech, she also criticized the generous issuing of firearms licenses in Austria, where certain rifles can already be purchased by any 18-year-old, which is considered less strict compared to other countries such as Germany. The weapons law in Austria stipulates that in order to purchase a handgun, a firearm ownership card is required, which is issued to the applicant after a psychological test, which has been in force since 1997.

A sea of ​​lights on the main square in Graz paid their final respects to the victims of the shooting spree. In a special meeting of the city government, possible failures and next steps were discussed. Kahr emphasizes that the political climate should not play a role in this critical situation and it is of utmost importance that the needs of affected citizens, especially children, come to the fore. In the coming days, she plans to pay special attention to talking to the children about the traumatic experiences.

Gun laws in focus

The discussion about gun laws in Austria was reignited by the shooting. Kahr expressed his concern and pointed out that firearms licenses in the country were “awarded too quickly”. As part of the gun law reliability test that every applicant for a gun ownership license must undergo, various psychological aspects such as emotional stability and aggressive tendencies are checked. The process includes a screening procedure and a specialist discussion in which possible abnormalities are questioned.

The test results will be communicated to the applicants after the tests have been carried out and the report will be sent by post. The cost of the exam is 283.20 euros. Kahr calls for more thought to be given to the security situation in schools after the school shooting took place at an educational institution. In this context, she also announced a joint campaign by youth organizations and the Graz Youth Advisory Council for next Wednesday to plan preventative measures and raise awareness of gun safety.