False accusations: Innocent Styrian suffers after Graz-Amo-Lauf!

False accusations: Innocent Styrian suffers after Graz-Amo-Lauf!

On Tuesday, June 11, 2025, a killing spree occurred at a school in Graz, in which ten people died. The perpetrator, a 22-year-old ex-student, was armed with two legally obsessed weapons, a pistol and a shotgun. He opened the fire in two classrooms, including in his former classroom. After the terrible act, the amok shooter is said to have committed suicide in a toilet. A total of 12 people were injured, some of them hovered in a critical condition. According to reports, some victims were targeted in the head.

The spread of information about this incident on social media followed at a rapid speed. Videos that show the screams of the victims and the perpetrator became viral. However, the 5 -minute editorial team decided not to publish such stressful videos so as not to further increase the pain of the affected people. Likewise, misleading information is circulating on social media, including false photos and videos that are not connected to the killing spree in Graz, but come from another incident.

false accusations and their consequences

In connection with the killing spree, a 23-year-old Styrian, whose name and initials are similar to those of the actual perpetrator, sees himself exposed to a hunt on the Internet. Despite his innocence, he is incorrectly associated with the killing spree. It is disagreed on social media, with his pictures being shared on platforms such as X, Facebook and Instagram. A friend of the innocent expressed great concern about the spread of these false information and the associated threats against the young man and family.

The aggressive reactions from the Internet have meant that the family of the innocent must sleep in various places for fear. Murder threats are pronounced by both strangers and people who know him personally. The spread of such false news could aim to manipulate public opinion, as was already the case with other incidents.

The role of social media

A critical consideration of the role of social media in crisis situations is necessary. Similar to the killing spree at Heidelberg University, where numerous misleading information circulated, the police are put under pressure to deal with the fast -moving news situation. Contradictory reports about the perpetrator or crime scenes can make police work more difficult. It is therefore crucial that the police provide quick and serious information on their social media channels to avoid rumors from the outset and to inform the citizens correctly.

In this difficult situation, the importance of professional communication by the police becomes clear. Schools and universities have already implemented training programs for dealing with social media to ensure that information can be processed quickly. Social media could be used as a valuable tool to ensure the safety of the population if they are used correctly.