On the morning of June 10, 2025, a grave tragedy struck the city of Graz in Austria, when a 21-year-old former student opened fire at the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school, leaving at least 11 people dead, including himself.
Of the 11 victims, 9 were students aged 14–17, including a 15-year-old girl from Kosovo, Lea Bajrami. A teacher was also killed during the incident.
According to authorities, the weapons used were legal and the attacker had left a farewell letter and a video for his mother. The motive for the attack remains unclear, but some media outlets speculate that the perpetrator may have been a victim of bullying at school.
The perpetrator has been identified as Artur A., ??a 21-year-old from the Graz area who had been a student at the school but had not graduated. He used a pistol and a rifle to open fire in two classrooms, one of which was his own.
After the attack, he committed suicide in the school bathroom. In his home, authorities found a suicide note, a video, an unfinished bomb and plans for a future attack. According to media reports, he had been a victim of school bullying, but this information has not yet been confirmed by authorities.
In response to the tragedy, Austria declared three days of national mourning, including a minute of silence nationwide on June 11 at 10:00. President Alexander Van der Bellen called the event a "national tragedy," while Chancellor Christian Stocker called it a "dark day" in Austria's history. In Graz, citizens laid flowers and candles in front of a school, and many businesses closed their doors to honor the victims.
Source: Reuters
