The Graz school shooter legally obtained two weapons despite being rejected for military service due to mental health concerns, Austrian authorities revealed.
The 21-year-old gunman who killed ten people in a school shooting in Graz earlier this week had carefully planned the attack and had been deemed unfit to be in the Army, investigators revealed on Thursday.
The shooter, who has not been named by authorities, also left behind a farewell letter and video message, but his exact motive remains unknown.
The rampage at the BORG Dreierschützengasse secondary school on Tuesday lasted just seven minutes but left nine students and one teacher dead, and eleven others injured. It was the deadliest school shooting in Austria’s modern history and has triggered a national debate over gun laws and public safety.
Seven-minute rampage with two legally purchased weapons
According to Michael Lohnegger, head of the Styrian State Criminal Police Office, the shooter entered the school at 9:43 am carrying a backpack with a Glock 19 pistol, a sawn-off double-barrel shotgun, and ammunition. He proceeded to the third floor, armed himself in the restroom, and began his attack at 9:57 am.
He first shot randomly on the second floor, then moved to the third floor where he fired multiple times at a locked classroom door until he could force his way in and open fire on those inside. He then returned to the restroom and took his own life just as police were arriving at the school. The first patrol reached the scene at 10:06 am.
At the time, up to 400 students were in the building.
READ ALSO: ‘This isn’t real’: Teacher recalls narrow escape during Graz school shooting
Among the victims were a Franco-Austrian and a Polish student, aged between 14 and 17. Eleven others were injured, including two Romanian nationals and one Iranian. A total of seven people were taken to the hospital, treated and operated on. One person could not be saved. All the others are now stable.
Lohnegger said the teacher killed was known to the attacker, having previously taught him. The shooter left the school three years ago after repeating the same grade multiple times. Investigators believe he had no personal connection to the student victims.
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Weapons obtained legally despite psychological disqualification from military service
The gunman had received a firearms licence after undergoing a psychological assessment with a Styrian psychologist in March 2025.
He purchased the shotgun in early April and the pistol in late May, both from licensed dealers in Graz.
READ ALSO: It’s easy to get a gun in Austria, but will the Graz shooting bring change?
Austrian Armed Forces spokesman Michael Bauer confirmed to Der Standard that the shooter had previously been declared unfit for military service for psychological reasons.
Due to data protection laws, that information was not shared with civilian authorities during the gun licensing process.
READ ALSO: ‘A national tragedy’: Austria holds vigils for Graz school shooting victims
Media backlash after false identification of suspect
A separate controversy emerged after a young man from Leibnitz was falsely identified as the shooter by a television station.
In a video posted online, the 22-year-old said he had received death threats and was considering legal action. The Austrian Press Council has since called for restraint in reporting, urging media outlets to avoid glorifying or over-exposing the perpetrator.
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Gun law debate begins
The Austrian government has declared three days of mourning, with flags at half-mast and public events cancelled across the country.
While police say the shooter acted alone and had no prior criminal record, the case has reignited debate about Austria’s gun laws and the oversight of psychological fitness in firearms licensing.
READ ALSO: Austria school shooting: Authorities fear threat of copycat attacks
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