Grief in Graz: Ten candles for amoclauf victims in Stephansdom

Grief in Graz: Ten candles for amoclauf victims in Stephansdom

Graz, Österreich - On June 13, 2025, a touching commemoration of the victims of the killing spree in Graz took place in Vienna. Numerous funeral guests gathered in the impressive backdrop of the Viennese Stephans Cathedral, including prominent representatives of the religious communities and politics. Among those present were the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Arsenios Kardamakis, the Archbishop's Franz Lackner and the Bishop of the Evangelical Church, Michael Chalupka. Together they reminded of the ten victims who died in the tragedy. Students lit a white candle for each victim and also lit one for the perpetrator who committed suicide after the crime. Archbishop Lackner expressed hope of returning the joie de vivre for the bereaved of this gruesome act, while Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and Chancellor Christian Stocker were also present to express their sympathy. Deutschlandfunk reports that grief is deeply rooted in the country and that everyone wants to show their sympathy.

The background of this commemoration is a shocking incident that occurred on June 10, 2025 in a high school in Graz. A 21-year-old former student opened the fire, which led to at least eleven deaths, including his own. The bloody deed immediately resulted in a broad debate about the weapons laws in Austria. According to the Tagesschau, the perpetrator legally had a gun from the Glock brand and a shotgun. This shows that Austria has a large number of legal firearms among the population compared to its neighboring countries: around 1.5 million firearms are registered, which means around 1.5 weapons per person in a population of over nine million.

weapons laws in focus

Federal President Van der Bellen commented on the tragedy of the lax weapons laws in Austria and promised the opportunity to change. Literally, it must be checked whether the laws should be revised in view of the latest events. The current state allows adult EU citizens with residence in Austria to acquire firearms, whereby there are numerous preconditions. For example, a weapon ownership card and a psychological report is required for the purchase of a pistol. According to Euronews, the psychological report was passed by almost 95 % of applicants. Access to weapons is divided into categories, whereby the shotguns are considered particularly dangerous because they can cause serious injuries.

The mayor of Graz, Elke Kahr, even called for a weapon ban in the private sector. This illustrates the pressure that is on the political decision -makers to prevent such tragedies. During the mourning period, the government imposed a three-day state griever while the flags were raised on half mast. The politicians also stayed away from populist demands and thus contributed to the prudent discussion about the topic of weapons legislation.