Grazer AmoFlauf: Nine dead and nationwide mourning mood!

Grazer AmoFlauf: Nine dead and nationwide mourning mood!

Graz, Österreich - On Tuesday afternoon there is silence in the Lend district of Graz, after a devastating killing spree shook the city in the morning. A 21-year-old former student of a high school opened the fire in the local school and killed nine people before taking his own life. Both students and teachers are among the victims. Six of the killed are women and three men. In addition, twelve people were injured, nine of whom were shot. The first shots fell around 10 a.m. The police and special forces were on site a few minutes after the first emergency calls to control the situation. The Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger reported by a dramatic situation, since over 300 pupils had to be brought to the Helmut-List-Halle.

Mayor Elke Kahr and Chancellor Christian Stocker subsequently proclaimed public grief. While Stocker explained a three -day state maker, a minute of silence for the victims is to take place throughout Austria on Wednesday at 10 a.m. Meanwhile, the State Criminal Police Office Styria is investigating to clarify whether there were warnings or alarm signals in advance. The streets around the crime scene were sealed off and all public events in Graz and Styria were canceled.

gun ownership in Austria

The perpetrator was Austrian citizens, living in the Graz region, and had a gun ownership card that allowed him the legal acquisition and possession of the weapons used. The firearms used included a gun and a shotgun. The state police director Gerald Ortner confirmed the legal possession of the perpetrator. In Austria, a gun ownership card is required to purchase and own firearms. The prerequisites for such a card include the minimum age of 21 years, the application by a "reliable" person from the European economic zone and the proof of a psychological report, unless the applicant has a valid hunting card. These laws also require a training confirmation for the proper use of firearms, which particularly reinforces the dimension of this tragedy.

• required documents for a weapon ownership card in Austria:
• Application by a "reliable" person
• Minimum age of 21 years
• belief of the weapon acquisition
• Psychological reports or valid hunting card
• Evidence of the proper handling of training

The incident has triggered a public debate about the access to weapons and the existing laws in Austria. Mayor Kahr already called for a stricter access to weapons to avoid similar tragedies in the future. Ultimately, many questions remain open for the time being, for example on the possible motifs of the perpetrator. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner expressed that everything else on this topic was speculation, and pointed out that the investigation continues.

Statistical data on the weapons in Austria show that a variety of weapon law documents have been issued in recent years, which also raises health -political concerns. According to Statista, the number of these documents in 2022 was at a high level, which further heated up the discourse on weapons laws in Austria and strengthens the need for reforms in this area.