In Graz, Austria on Tuesday morning a nightmare scenario occurred. Arthur A., a 21-year-old resident of the area, opened fire with military-style weapons in a shooting spree that left ten people dead at a suburban high school. The shooting began just six minutes into the third class and lasted approximately 17 minutes. It shocked the community and ignited a national wave of mourning.
At one of Austria’s high schools in the southern city of Graz, a massacre took place on Friday. For context, Arthur A. indiscriminately shot students and teachers in a school. Nine students, between ages 14 and 17 years old, were found dead. A former school teacher became an inadvertent casualty in that deadly crossfire. After committing the unspeakable act, Arthur A. died by suicide.
After the shooting, officials quickly moved into action. In response to the tragedy, the Austrian national government declared three days of mourning in memory of the victims. The police department is scheduled to have a press conference later this morning. Their goals include increasing public awareness about the still developing investigation into this terrifying incident.
Arthur A., who had missed out on schooling due to dropping out but had previously attended in-person classes at their school, lived with his mother. By all accounts, he walked into the school and went to the restroom to change into body armor before carrying out his attack. At the time of the shooting, the school had between 350 and 400 students on campus.
Witnesses told police of chaotic scenes as students were desperately trying to get away while Arthur A. shot his gun. The ordeal unfolded over as few as ten minutes, sparking serious concerns about school safety and gun ownership in Austria.
In the aftermath of this tragedy, the debates about who gets to own a weapon in Austria have been renewed and heated. We have the most guns per capita of any country on earth. Arguably, the most salient issue is the fact that many 18-year-olds can obtain firearms very easily. The incident raised and continues to raise fiery conversations about what such accessibility means.
Survivor and victim advocacy organizations are calling for tougher gun control legislation. They advocate for the repeal of existing laws that they maintain do not protect citizens from acts of violence. As Austria grapples with this devastating event, there is widespread recognition of the need for urgent reforms in gun legislation.