School shooting in Austria: Death toll rises to 11

A community in shock and a nation in mourning Graz, Austria, is reeling after the deadliest school shooting in Austria’s recent history claimed 11 lives, including several teenagers. The attack unfolded Tuesday morning at Dreierschützengasse secondary school, shattering the peace of Austria’s second-largest city and forcing the country to confront a horror it has rarely faced.

The shooter, a 21-year-old former student of the school who reportedly never graduated, opened fire with a legally owned pistol and shotgun, according to police. Authorities confirmed he acted alone and later took his own life in a bathroom on school premises. Though he was not previously known to police, investigators are now examining his background and motive.

Eyewitnesses described a terrifying scene. Nearby residents heard up to 40 gunshots. Police were alerted at 10:00 local time and responded with tactical forces, swiftly securing the building and evacuating students and staff. But by then, the toll was devastating: 11 people dead, twelve others injured, several critically, and an entire nation in disbelief.

Mourning and questions follow deadly school shooting in Austria

Flags fly at half-mast across the country, and Austria will observe a national minute of silence at 10:00 AM on Wednesday. Chancellor Christian Stocker called it a “dark day in the history of our country,” describing schools as sanctuaries that should never be violated. “These were young people with their whole lives ahead of them,” he said, visibly shaken.

Seven of the victims were students. Others include staff, according to official sources. Austria’s Education Minister announced the school will remain closed indefinitely. Meanwhile, long queues formed outside Graz hospitals and blood banks as locals rushed to help in any way they could.

This school shooting in Austria has raised urgent questions about firearm access, school safety, and how such violence could erupt in a place many considered safe. The gunman legally owned the weapons used in the attack—a fact that will likely fuel debate in the days ahead.

For now, Austria grieves. And the name “Dreierschützengasse” may forever echo as a painful reminder of lives lost too soon in the school shooting in Austria that no one saw coming.