Former Student Kills 10 in Graz High-School Rampage, Austria Mourns
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A 21-year-old ex-student stormed BORG Dreierschützengasse in Graz on Tuesday morning, carrying both a pistol and a long gun he’d bought legally. Within minutes he’d taken ten lives—six females, three males—and wounded several others before turning the weapon on himself in a school bathroom. More than 300 officers, including elite COBRA units, swept the campus while helicopters circled and ambulances rushed victims to hospitals.
The killings rattled Austria, a country where mass shootings are rare despite relatively high civilian gun ownership. Chancellor Christian Stocker canceled his agenda, declared three days of national mourning, and vowed to review firearm regulations. Investigators have asked witnesses to upload photos and videos as they piece together how the gunman, who never graduated, slipped past security and opened fire during morning classes.
Students and parents were evacuated to a nearby stadium, stunned by what felt like an American nightmare transplanted to Europe. Experts say Europe’s tighter gun laws usually curb school attacks, yet this tragedy underscores that availability still matters: where guns exist, the risk can never be zero. For now Graz—usually a calm university town—grapples with grief, questions, and the shattering realization that it, too, is not immune.
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