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Viennese politicians react with shock to the Graz shooting – remembering the victims
On June 20, 2015, a shocking rampage took place in Graz that is still deeply anchored in the memory of the population today. The perpetrator, a 26-year-old man named Alen R., drove a green SUV (Daewoo Rexton) through the city for a distance of approximately 2.5 kilometers, reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h and also driving on sidewalks. The brutal incident began at 12:15 p.m. and resulted in the fatal injuries of three people, including a child just four years old, as well as 36 other injuries, some of them serious. This serious incident would have occurred not only in Graz, but also throughout...
Viennese politicians react with shock to the Graz shooting – remembering the victims
On June 20, 2015, a shocking rampage took place in Graz that is still deeply anchored in the memory of the population today. The perpetrator, a 26-year-old man named Alen R., drove a green SUV (Daewoo Rexton) through the city for a distance of approximately 2.5 kilometers, reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h and also driving on sidewalks. The brutal incident began at 12:15 p.m. and resulted in the fatal injuries of three people, including a child just four years old, as well as 36 other injuries, some of them serious. This serious incident would have caused a wave of consternation not only in Graz, but also throughout Austria.
What was particularly frightening was that the driver attacked two people with a knife at a supermarket on Grazbachgasse before he continued to race through the city in his vehicle and was finally arrested at the police station on Schmiedgasse. In addition to the police, Interpol and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution took over the investigation in order to clarify possible religious motives. During the court hearings, it emerged that Alen R. was diagnosed with schizophrenia and personality disorders. Although he was deemed mentally incompetent, he was still competent to stand trial and was ultimately sentenced to life in prison. On September 23, 2023, he was found dead in his cell - a possible suicide was assumed.
Political reactions in Vienna
The recent memories of the shooting spree are still causing explosive discussions in politics for years. This is how Viennese politicians reacted to the incident in Graz and are calling for measures to increase the safety of citizens. There are voices that are loudly calling for more surveillance in public areas and are concerned about the general security situation in our cities. According to meinkreis.at, domestic politics and the city administration are primarily required to learn lessons from such tragic events.
The tragedy also gave rise to a commemoration of the victims: a memorial mass and a memorial march took place in Graz, in which numerous participants remembered the innocent victims. Political representatives spoke about the need to critically question the investigations in such cases - in particular, the inadequate examination of clues and evidence was cited as a key point of criticism. According to many, society should learn from these mistakes to avoid similar incidents in the future.
The question of how safe we can feel in our cities always remains after such tragedies. The political will is needed to take measures that strengthen citizens' sense of security. A good hand in this question could help us feel a little safer again in Austria.
For more information about the rampage and the political response, you can visit the detailed Wikipedia page. It offers deeper insights into the course of the proceedings and the background of the perpetrator.