Austria according to Graz-AmoFlauf: Weapons Act is drastically tightened!

Austria according to Graz-AmoFlauf: Weapons Act is drastically tightened!

Graz, Österreich - The tragedy at a school of Graz, in which ten people died on June 18, 2025, Austria plunged into a debate about the arms laws. The killing spree, committed by a 21-year-old Austrian, marks a turning point in the country's gun culture so far. According to the incident, the Austrian government decided to tighten the weapons law in order to better capture potentially dangerous situations and to make access to weapons more difficult. This includes an increase in the minimum age for the acquisition of pistols and revolvers from 21 to 25 years. For shotguns, the minimum age remains at 18 years, but 18 to 25 year olds have to present a mandatory psychological report.

In addition, the cooling phase is extended to four weeks when the weapons acquisition for the first time for the first time in order to enable a more thorough consideration. The government also plans to intensify the data exchange between the army and weapons authorities in order to recognize potential risks at an early stage. The gunner had legally acquired his weapons, although in his pattern psychological abnormalities were found, which have to be re -evaluated after the incident, such as the FAZ reported.

psychological tests as a new hurdle

The tragedy has also re -lived up to the discussion about the effectiveness of psychological tests. As can be seen from the investigation, the gunman passed a psychological test in March, which he needed to acquire a Glock 19 pistol. No test was required for a shotgun, which raises questions about the consistency of the criteria. The so -called "weapon's permissibility" of the person is to be determined in the tests that are intended. The required medical history and discussions with the expert are not regulated by law, but are practiced by serious experts. Nevertheless, there are concerns about the measurability of the psychological insights and the possibility of mass tests that could not have the desired effect, such as the Puls24 reported.

• New requirements for gun ownership:
  • Minimum age for pistols and revolvers: 25 years
  • Minimum age for shotguns: 18 years with psychological reports for 18- to 25 year olds
  • cooling phase for weapons acquisition: four weeks
• increased police presence in front of schools until the end of June.
• compensation fund of 20 million euros for the victims and bereaved.

a look into the past and an uncertain future

The killing spree in Graz not only left traces with the victims and their relatives, but also sharpens the view of the arms culture in Austria. Despite the "relatively liberal" waffle settings that the country has, the incident shows that urgent measures are required. The security concept is again placed on the agenda by the shock waves that trigger such events. After all, around 1.5 million weapons are registered for around 370,000 people in Austria, which raises the weapon density within the EU at a high level, such as the Kurier Notice.

These changes should not only be regarded as a response to the killing spree, but also as part of a larger plan to increase security in schools and other public spaces. The government has already announced that they want to double the number of school psychologists in the coming years. In the hope that early detection and intervention, combined with strict weapons controls, can prevent such an accident in the future.