Shock after school shooting in Graz: Students save lives, school comes to a standstill!

Shock after school shooting in Graz: Students save lives, school comes to a standstill!

On June 11, 2025, there was a school shooting in Graz that caused great consternation throughout Austria. Norbert Urabl, the deputy director of the affected school, described his impressions of this tragic event in ZIB2. Initially, the students heard unclear banging noises before they were informed about shots and injuries. However, the students' reactions were impressive: they built barricades and locked doors, applying theoretical knowledge from previous fire drills. Urabl emphasized that they could have prevented many deaths.

The emergency services were on site quickly, which Urabl emphasized as extremely positive. He praised the police and emergency services for their efficient evacuation and support. Despite these quick measures, it was unclear during the evacuation what happened to the perpetrator. Students, parents and teachers had to deal with the emotional aftermath of the incident as many questions remained unanswered.

Mourning and condolences on a national level

In a statement on Bluesky, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen described the crime as an “indescribable horror” and acknowledged the pain of the victims’ families. Chancellor Christian Stocker also expressed his concern and described the incident as a “dark day” for the nation. He announced a minute's mourning for Wednesday at 10 a.m. and three days of national mourning until Friday. In Styria, all public events were canceled to commemorate the victims.

Political reactions came from across the country. Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger and Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr emphasized the need for support for those affected. The flags on the parliament roof will be flown at half-mast as the FPÖ postpones its party conference planned for the weekend. The Styrian Governor Mario Kunasek described the rampage as an act of madness and was deeply affected. International condolences also reached Austria, including from heads of state such as German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Prevention measures and social responsibility

When it comes to preventing school shootings, it has been shown that schools cannot be turned into impregnable fortresses. Specialists are therefore calling for increased attention to warning signals. Criminal psychologist Karoline Roshdi pointed out that schools should have a crisis team to identify and defuse threats early. Studies suggest that in most cases of mass shootings there were already warnings from peers or via social media.

Schools' emergency response plans play a crucial role in preparing for potential acts of violence. In many federal states, including North Rhine-Westphalia, there are instructions for schools that are intended to help them react correctly in an emergency. Roshdi emphasizes that a culture of listening is needed and that trained contact persons are crucial so that students know where to turn if they have fears or concerns. The crisis teams introduced after the Erfurt shooting in 2002 are not yet sufficiently active in many schools.

Overall, it can be said that the community, politicians and especially schools must pull together to ensure the safety of students. The shock caused by the shooting in Graz will continue to have an impact for a long time, both emotionally and in the discussion about security concepts in schools.