Graz in shock: Amo run shakes school and all of Austria!

Graz in shock: Amo run shakes school and all of Austria!

Graz, Österreich - On June 10, 2025, a killing spree at a school in Graz shook the country Austria. Romana Deckenbacher, the federal chairman of the group of Christian trade unionists (FCG) and ÖGB Vice President, was deeply affected in a first statement. She spoke of grief and bewilderness about the act of violence and assured that her thoughts were with the victims, their families as well as the students, teachers and school staff. "A school must not become a setting for violence," emphasized Deckenbacher and thanked the emergency services for their quick action under extremely stressful conditions. She called for social solidarity on this sad day. This emotional reaction was shared by the entire political landscape.

Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen described the events in a post on Bluesky as an "indescribable horror". He found that Austria compiled at that moment to share the pain of the relatives and help the injured. The Federal Chancellor, Christian Stocker, also described the incident as a "dark day" and announced a three -day state grants until Friday. In addition, a funeral minute for Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. is held. In Styria, all public events were canceled in the next three days to receive the proper honor for the victims.

political reactions and support

The dismay runs through all political ranks. Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger and Minister of Education Christoph Return offer their full support. The Styrian governor Mario Kunasek also spoke of a "madness". The FPÖ also reacted, whose boss Herbert Kickl emphasized that the safety of the children was a top priority and that he would postpone the party congress intended for the weekend. In a uniform gesture, the parliament has placed flags on half mast to commemorate the victim.

International sympathy is also recorded. State heads, including the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Italian President Sergio Mattarella, have expressed their sympathy. The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj commented on the events and emphasized that schools should not be a places of violence.

growing concern for violence in schools

The incident in Graz makes a highlight of a comprehensive problem: violence in schools. Analyzes show that violence among schoolchildren is a frequently discussed problem. Police crime statistics report an increase in children and adolescents relevant to criminal law after a decline in decline. According to the PISA study, over 12 % of 15-year-old students experience bullying several times a month, and almost half of the teachers in Germany have observed violence among pupils. These developments give rise to concern and at the same time demand increased prevention.

Numerous schools have already implemented programs for violence prevention and anti-violence training to counter the challenges. Over 80 % of the parents surveyed wanted such measures in schools to create a safe learning environment. The growing problem of cyberbullying is particularly perceived by school leaders as an important topic in digital lessons. Headmaster reports that a slight increase in experiences with cyberbullying was found among young people, which shows that there are many areas in schools that still need to be improved.

In the middle of this tragedy, hope for increased joint action remains to increase protection and security in schools. The entire society is called to stand up for the victims and their families and to learn from the shattering events.