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Graz mass shooting: The dark truth behind Alen R.'s death in prison
Shooting spree in Graz on June 20, 2015: A look back at the tragic events and the consequences for perpetrators and victims.
Graz mass shooting: The dark truth behind Alen R.'s death in prison
On June 20, 2015, one of the most tragic shooting sprees in Austrian history occurred in Graz. Alen R., then 26 years old, raced through the city center in a Daewoo Rexton that weighed over two tons, killing three people, including a four-year-old child. In addition, 36 other people, including pedestrians and cyclists, were injured, some seriously. The crime happened around 12 noon, when a large event was taking place in the main square.
Alen R. deliberately drove his SUV towards passers-by for two kilometers and caused them serious injuries. After the journey, he got out of the vehicle and injured two other passers-by with a knife before he was arrested by the police in Schmiedgasse. At the trial, which took place in 2016, the perpetrator appeared in a white suit and stated that he had acted out of fear. The court, however, classified his crime as a “planned mass murder,” which led to a life sentence.
Lasting effects of the shooting spree
Over the years, the rampage remained a defining event for the people of Graz. The authorities recorded over 100 people directly affected, with many surviving because they were able to escape in time. The subsequent memorial service in the Graz parish church attracted around 500 mourners, and thousands lit a “sea of candles” in Herrengasse to commemorate the victims. There was also a funeral march a week after the crime, in which many participants took part and which was led by the then Federal President Heinz Fischer.
On September 29, 2016, Alen R. was finally found guilty and sent to an institution for mentally abnormal criminals. Recently, however, at the end of September 2023, he was found dead in his solitary cell at the Stein prison in Lower Austria after committing suicide on the night of September 23rd.
Legal and psychological consequences
The shooting spree not only raises ethical and social questions, but also has legal dimensions that extend far beyond the case of Alen R. A ruling by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) from April 17, 2018 explains that mental health injuries suffered by police officers during school shootings can also be legally recognized. The attributional context plays a crucial role here, and can also be assumed in the case of intentional, serious violent crimes.
A police officer was awarded compensation for mental health impairment in an incident linked to a shooting at a vocational school. The BGH ruling emphasizes that a psychological injury can be directly traced back to a rampage and therefore the perpetrator is attributable to it. Such decisions may set important precedents for future cases.
The events in Graz and their consequences remain in the memory of the citizens as a memorial. While some of the direct effects of the act are known, legal developments show that the social and psychological consequences are far-reaching.