Austrian school shooter planned to detonate pipe bomb, say police

Key Points

• It seems likely that on June 10, 2025, a gunman killed 10 people and injured 12 at a secondary school in Graz, Austria.
• Research suggests the shooter, a 21-year-old former student named Arthur A., used legally owned weapons and committed suicide after the attack.
• There is controversy around gun laws in Austria, given its high civilian gun ownership and the legal possession of the weapons used.

Incident Overview
On June 10, 2025, a tragic school shooting occurred at the Dreierschützengasse secondary school in Graz, Austria, where a 21-year-old former student, Arthur A., killed 10 people and injured 12 before taking his own life. The attack, lasting about 17 minutes, is considered the deadliest in Austria’s modern history.

Casualties and Response
The victims included nine students (aged 14-17, including one Polish citizen) and one teacher (a 59-year-old woman who died later from injuries). Austria declared a three-day national mourning period, with vigils held in Graz and a minute of silence observed on June 11, 2025.

Shooter and Weapons
Arthur A. was described as a loner with no social media presence and had left the school two years prior. He used a legally possessed shotgun and Glock pistol, and had planned but abandoned a pipe bomb attack. His motive remains unclear, though he left a suicide note apologizing to his family.

Detailed Analysis of the Graz School Shooting in Austria

On June 12, 2025, at 08:17 AM PDT, reports confirm a devastating school shooting occurred on June 10, 2025, at the Dreierschützengasse secondary school (BORG Dreierschützengasse) in Graz, Austria. This incident, involving a 21-year-old former student, resulted in 10 deaths and 12 injuries, marking it as the deadliest rampage killing in modern Austrian history. This report provides a comprehensive overview, drawing from multiple reputable news sources and official statements to ensure accuracy and depth.

Incident Overview

The shooting took place on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at approximately 09:55 CEST, just after the start of the third lesson of the day, as detailed in Wikipedia: Graz school shooting. The school, a federal upper gymnasium located on Dreierschützengasse in Graz’s Lend district, was the site of an attack that lasted 17 minutes, with the building evacuated by 10:28 CEST after first responders arrived, as per BBC News: What we know about Austria school shooting.

The gunman, identified as Arthur A., was a 21-year-old former student who had left the school two years prior without completing his studies, as reported in The Guardian: Austrian school shooter planned to detonate pipe bomb. Neighbors reported that the first shots were fired outside the school, where one person was killed, before Arthur A. entered and opened fire in at least two classrooms on the second or third floor, where oral exams for Matura were being held, according to Wikipedia.

Shooter and Motive

Arthur A. was described as a loner with no social media presence and only one friend, as noted in The Guardian. He lived with his mother in a Graz suburb and had been turned down for military service after failing a psychological test, according to a defense official in The New York Times: Suspect in Austrian School Shooting Was a Loner. His motive remains unclear, but he left a suicide note apologizing to his family, as per The Guardian. Investigators are exploring whether he was influenced by online shooting games, as mentioned in Reuters: Austrian school shooter was fan of online shooting games.

Casualties and Injuries

The attack resulted in 10 deaths, comprising nine students aged 14-17 (including one Polish citizen) and one 59-year-old female teacher who died later from her injuries, as per Wikipedia and CNN: Gunman opens fire in Austrian school, killing 10 and…. The victims included seven females and three males, as confirmed by Interior Minister Gerhard Karner during a press conference, according to Reuters: Former pupil kills 10 people and himself in shooting at Austrian school.

Twelve people were injured, with ages ranging from 15 to 26, including eight Austrians, two Romanians, and one Iranian, as reported in BBC News. Two of the injured are in intensive care, and one is undergoing a second emergency operation, as per The Guardian. Initial media reports on the day of the shooting described at least twelve injured, with some critically wounded, as noted in Wikipedia.

Weapons and Additional Plans

Arthur A. used a shotgun and a Glock pistol, both legally possessed, as confirmed by police and reported in Reuters. He had been deemed fit to own these weapons via a psychological test, despite his military service rejection. Additionally, he planned to detonate a homemade pipe bomb but discarded the plans; an ineffectual bomb was found in his flat, as detailed in The Guardian.

Police and Emergency Response

Police were alerted at 10:00 AM and arrived by 10:06 AM, with the situation under control by 10:28 AM, as per Wikipedia. A disaster alert was issued for nearby hospitals, and 300 officers, including the tactical team Einsatzkommando Cobra, along with 160 paramedics and firefighters, were deployed, as noted in Simple English Wikipedia: 2025 Graz school shooting. The shooter’s mother alerted police 24 minutes after receiving a farewell video, as per The Guardian.

National and Community Response

Austria declared a three-day period of national mourning, with a minute’s silence observed on Wednesday morning, June 11, 2025, and flags flown at half-mast, as reported in The Guardian and BBC News. Thousands gathered in Graz for vigils, with churches ringing funeral bells, including St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, and public transport halting for a minute, as per Reuters: Austria comes to a standstill to mourn school shooting victims. Public broadcaster ORF paused all radio and TV programs for one minute, showing a mourning message, as noted in Reuters.

Public and Media Reaction

The incident has shocked Austria, a country with relatively low crime rates but high gun ownership, as per The New York Times: Graz, Austria, School Shooting: What to Know. It has sparked calls for tighter gun laws, with Graz mayor Elke Kahr and others advocating for changes, given Austria’s status as one of Europe’s most heavily armed civilian populations, with over 1 million weapons owned by its 9 million citizens (likely an underestimate), as mentioned in Reuters. Media coverage, including CNN and [France24]([invalid url, do not cite]), has framed this as a national tragedy, prompting rare solidarity among Austria’s often divided political parties.

Comparative Context

This shooting is compared to previous incidents in Europe, such as the 2009 Winnenden school shooting in Germany, but stands out as Austria’s worst, as noted in AP News: Here’s what we know about the school shooting in Austria. It follows a pattern of rare but devastating school shootings, highlighting ongoing debates on gun control.

Detailed Breakdown

To organize the wealth of information, the following tables summarize key details and responses:

This incident underscores the complexities of gun ownership and school safety in Austria, with ongoing efforts to address the aftermath and prevent future tragedies.