Shooting spree in Graz: Sinister details about the perpetrator's motive revealed!

Shooting spree in Graz: Sinister details about the perpetrator's motive revealed!

On June 17, 2025, a tragic school shooting occurred in Graz, in which ten people were killed. According to a report by vienna.at There is currently no clear information about the motive of the 21-year-old perpetrator, who was a former student at the school. His passion for school shootings seems undisputed, which investigator Michael Lohnegger emphasized in a recent statement.

Before the rampage took place, the perpetrator posted a picture of the school's toilet facility on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter. This picture shows him in combat boots, which made investigators sit up and take notice. Between 2019 and 2025, around 30 social media accounts linked to the perpetrator were found. However, it remains unclear which of these profiles were actually run by him.

Investigations and security measures

After the incident, the police carried out over 30 operations at various schools in Graz to identify potential free riders. State Police Director Gerald Ortner warned of the increasing glorification of the rampage on social media, which is both morally and legally problematic. On Tuesday, a 19-year-old Austrian man was arrested in Guntramsdorf, Lower Austria, after sending a shooting threat via email.

The condition of the injured students has stabilized, but seven remain in hospital. Two survivors were released. In addition to the victims, a Glock pistol with five magazines and earplugs, normally used for target practice, were found at the crime scene. The perpetrator was found to have 24 cartridges in two magazines as well as other loose cartridges.

Prevention of acts of violence in schools

In the context of violence prevention, it is important to mention that school shootings in Germany have been relatively rare since 2000. Despite this rarity, the risk for schools is still high, which NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul emphasizes. In North Rhine-Westphalia, patrol cars are equipped with bulletproof vests and submachine guns in order to be able to respond better to such incidents.

A crisis prevention concept, developed after the Erfurt shooting in 2002, stipulates that schools have a crisis team that can identify and defuse threats in a timely manner. Criminal psychologist Karoline Roshdi emphasizes that warning signals, such as thoughts of revenge or thoughts about purchasing a weapon, are often present before a crime spree and that peers can become aware of such signs on social media.

The findings from Graz once again bring the question of safety precautions in schools to the fore. While crisis teams are required by law in many federal states, implementation remains suboptimal in some regions. The incident in Graz shows how important preventive measures and sensitized teachers are in order to prevent such tragedies in the future.