Ten people, including several students, at least one adult, and the suspected assailant, have died following a suspected shooting incident at a school in the southeastern Austrian city of Graz on Tuesday. Mayor Elke Kahr confirmed the fatalities to the Austrian press agency APA.
Police confirmed a major operation was underway, with gunshots having been heard inside the building. The precise details of the situation remain "very unclear at the moment," according to police sources cited by APA. AFP's attempts to reach police and interior ministry officials for immediate comment were unsuccessful.
School shootings, while more prevalent in the United States, are less common in Europe. However, recent years have seen a number of non-terrorism related attacks at educational institutions across the continent.
EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas expressed deep shock at the reports, stating on X, "Every child should feel safe at school and be able to learn free from fear and violence. My thoughts are with the victims, their families and the Austrian people in this dark moment."
Austria, a country of nearly 9.2 million people, is generally considered one of the safest nations globally, ranking among the top ten according to the Global Peace Index.
This incident follows other recent school attacks in Europe:
- In January 2025, an 18-year-old fatally stabbed a high school student and a teacher in northeastern Slovakia.
- In December 2024, a 19-year-old stabbed a seven-year-old student to death and injured others at a primary school in Zagreb, Croatia.
- December 2023 saw an attack at a university in central Prague, resulting in 14 deaths and 25 injuries.
- Earlier in 2023, a 13-year-old in downtown Belgrade shot and killed eight classmates and a security guard at an elementary school, also injuring six children and a teacher before contacting police and being arrested.
- In 2009, a former pupil killed nine pupils, three teachers, and three passers-by in a school shooting in Winnenden, southern Germany, before taking his own life.