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Funeral service in Vienna: Austria mourns the victims of the school shooting
A memorial service was held in Vienna for the victims of the Graz shooting, as the discussion about gun rights gains momentum.
Funeral service in Vienna: Austria mourns the victims of the school shooting
On Thursday evening, a memorial service was held in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna for the victims of the shooting spree in Graz. This terrible tragedy occurred on June 11th when a 21-year-old former student shot nine teenagers aged 14 to 17 and a teacher at his previous school, a secondary school. Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen lit the first candle for the ten victims and expressed his dismay at the shocking events that have touched the whole of Austria. In the words of Josef Grünwidl, the administrator of the Archdiocese of Vienna, this violence has plunged the entire nation into mourning stern.de reported.
The horrific incident lasted just seven minutes, after which the perpetrator committed suicide in a school toilet shortly after the first police patrols arrived. Eleven other people were seriously injured in the rampage, including a teacher. According to investigators, the perpetrator, an extremely introverted young man, lived a withdrawn life and was an intensive player of violent computer games, especially first-person shooters. In the last three months he could even be found in a shooting club, which underlines the dangerous nature of his actions marktspiegel.de supplemented.
Effects and reactions
The brutal act sparked a broad debate about gun rights in Austria. Although the perpetrator owned his weapons legally, the appropriateness of the current regulations is increasingly being questioned. While the Greens and the Communists are calling for a tightening of gun laws, the FPÖ is receiving harsh criticism for its negative stance, as it describes such tightening as “purely symbolic politics”. In this heated discussion, even the National Security Council intervenes to discuss preventative measures and analyze the background to the shooting spree blick.de reported.
On the day of the incident, a minute's mourning was held throughout Austria at 10 a.m. Many public events had to be canceled to commemorate the victims. Security authorities are also reporting further threats against schools, which is why the police are on heightened alert. During a search of the perpetrator's residence, an inoperable pipe bomb was found, indicating the young man's planning and dangerous potential.
Although there are some reports of bullying, they have not yet been confirmed. Rather, the perpetrator's motive remains unclear, and farewell messages provide no information whatsoever. It is questionable whether the events will result in a greater focus on the social and emotional problems of young people, as experts warn of the increasing challenges in the youth sector.