Austria in mourning as Graz school shooting death toll rises to 11

Austria is in mourning after the death toll from a school shooting in Graz rose to 11, making it the deadliest gun attack in the country’s recent history.

On Tuesday night, thousands of people gathered in silence for a candlelight vigil in the city’s main square to honour the victims of the attack at Dreierschützengasse secondary school.

The vigil took place hours after it was confirmed that a tenth victim, a female, had died in hospital from her injuries.

On Wednesday morning, police said another injured person had died, bringing the number of lives lost to 11.

The attacker, a 21-year-old former student who had not graduated from the school, opened fire on Tuesday morning, killing nine people on site and injuring 12 others.

He then took his own life in a school bathroom. Among the dead are seven students, according to Austria’s APA news agency.

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said six of those killed were female and three male, while another woman and man later died in hospital.

The motive behind the shooting remains under investigation.

Police said the gunman acted alone, using two legally owned firearms — a pistol and a shotgun — and had a valid firearms licence. He had no prior record with the police.

The school remains closed until further notice. Austria’s Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr confirmed the closure, while Chancellor Christian Stocker described the day of the attack as “a dark day in [the] history of our country”.

“A school is more than just a place to learn — it is a space for trust, for feeling comfortable and for having a future,” Stocker said. “This safe place has been violated. These were young people who had their whole lives ahead of them.”

The Archbishop Johann fountain in Graz, located in front of city hall, became the centre of the city’s grief. Residents brought candles and placed them on the fountain’s steps in a show of solidarity.

“This is an example of solidarity and you grieve together and together it is easier to cope,” said Felix Plazter, one of the attendees.

Three days of national mourning have been declared in Austria, and a nationwide minute of silence is scheduled for Wednesday at 10 local time. Flags on the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, where the president has his office, will fly at half-mast.

The emotional impact of the shooting has been felt across the country, but especially in Graz. “Locally, we have seen people crying on the streets, talking to friends that have been at the school when the shooting happened, who have maybe lost a friend,” said journalist Fanny Gasser.

She added that Graz, while Austria’s second-largest city, feels like a close-knit community where “everybody knows somebody”.

Witnesses living near the school described hearing 30 to 40 gunshots. “I heard shots. Lots of them, one after the other. 'Poof... poof... poof’ again and again,” said Astrid, a neighbour.

Her husband Franz added, “We saw one pupil at the window — it looked like he was getting ready to jump out... but then he went back inside.”

Police responded to reports of gunfire at 10:00 local time and deployed a Cobra tactical unit to the school. Pupils and teachers were quickly evacuated, and police confirmed there was no ongoing threat to the public.

The attack has triggered an outpouring of support. Long lines formed outside blood donation centres in Graz. “Today is a hard day for all of us in Graz. I’m here to [donate] my blood to help other people who need it,” said 25-year-old Stephanie Koenig. Another woman, Johanna, said, “I wanted to do something. I felt helpless with the news.”

European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas said she was “deeply shocked” and posted, “Every child should feel safe at school and be able to learn free from fear and violence.”

Austria has seen few mass shootings in recent years. In 2020, a jihadist killed four people in Vienna. In 2016, a man opened fire at a concert in Nenzing, killing two before turning the gun on himself.

Local mayor Elke Kahr called the Graz school shooting a “terrible tragedy” as Austria comes to terms with the horrifying loss of young lives in a place meant to be safe.