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Wednesday, Jul 16, 2025
Outside the box.
Mass Shooting at Austrian School Claims Ten Lives, Investigation Underway
Twenty-one-year-old former student Arthur A. identified as the shooter in the tragic incident in Graz.
On June 11, 2025, a mass shooting at BORG Dreierschutzengasse high school in Graz, Austria, resulted in the deaths of ten individuals, including nine students and one teacher.
The gunman, identified as 21-year-old Arthur A., a former student of the institution, allegedly carried out the attack using a legally owned shotgun and handgun.
Graphic images of the shooter holding a cat have surfaced online amidst reports indicating that the suspect had faced bullying during his time at school before departing without graduating.
Authorities revealed that prior to the shooting, Arthur A. sent a video to his mother apologizing for his impending actions, which she received 24 minutes before the attack commenced.
In a farewell letter, Arthur A. expressed goodbye to his family but did not provide any explicit motive for the shooting.
Franz Ruf, the director of public security at Austria's Interior Ministry, confirmed the existence of both a digital and physical farewell note.
He stated, 'No motive can be inferred from the farewell letter, and that is a matter for further investigations.' Ruf added that the nature of the gunman's attack—whether it was random or targeted—remains under inquiry.
The victims of the shooting comprised six females and three males, with a seventh female victim succumbing to injuries in the hospital shortly after the attack.
Reports from Austria's APA news agency indicated that seven of the deceased were current pupils at the school.
In response to the tragedy, a three-day mourning period has been declared nationwide, marking it as potentially the deadliest such incident in Austria's post-World War II history.
Thousands of mourners gathered for candlelight vigils across various locations in Austria, lighting candles and laying flowers in memory of the victims.
Chancellor Christian Stocker extended condolences via social media, expressing solidarity for the victims' families and calling for national unity in a time of grief.
His post conveyed sympathy towards those affected, emphasizing the need for community support in the aftermath of the shooting.
The gunman, identified as 21-year-old Arthur A., a former student of the institution, allegedly carried out the attack using a legally owned shotgun and handgun.
Graphic images of the shooter holding a cat have surfaced online amidst reports indicating that the suspect had faced bullying during his time at school before departing without graduating.
Authorities revealed that prior to the shooting, Arthur A. sent a video to his mother apologizing for his impending actions, which she received 24 minutes before the attack commenced.
In a farewell letter, Arthur A. expressed goodbye to his family but did not provide any explicit motive for the shooting.
Franz Ruf, the director of public security at Austria's Interior Ministry, confirmed the existence of both a digital and physical farewell note.
He stated, 'No motive can be inferred from the farewell letter, and that is a matter for further investigations.' Ruf added that the nature of the gunman's attack—whether it was random or targeted—remains under inquiry.
The victims of the shooting comprised six females and three males, with a seventh female victim succumbing to injuries in the hospital shortly after the attack.
Reports from Austria's APA news agency indicated that seven of the deceased were current pupils at the school.
In response to the tragedy, a three-day mourning period has been declared nationwide, marking it as potentially the deadliest such incident in Austria's post-World War II history.
Thousands of mourners gathered for candlelight vigils across various locations in Austria, lighting candles and laying flowers in memory of the victims.
Chancellor Christian Stocker extended condolences via social media, expressing solidarity for the victims' families and calling for national unity in a time of grief.
His post conveyed sympathy towards those affected, emphasizing the need for community support in the aftermath of the shooting.
