Austria's gun laws come under scrutiny after shooter at Graz school kills 10

Published on 11/06/2025 - 11:18 GMT+2

A time aft a gunman attacked a schoolhouse successful Graz and killed 10, including students, galore successful Austria were near questioning really specified an enactment of unit could occur, turning attraction to nan country’s weapon laws.

According to police, nan 21-year-old attacker legally owned some weapons utilized successful nan battle connected Tuesday: a Glock pistol and a shotgun.

According to Kleine Zeitung newspaper, nan attacker had purchased 1 of nan weapons conscionable days earlier carrying retired nan attack. To get it legally, he was required to walk a psychological evaluation, Süddeutsche Zeitung reported, citing Austrian authorities.

Around 1.5 cardinal weapons are registered successful Austria - a state pinch a organization of conscionable complete 9 cardinal and much wide weapon laws comparative to nan remainder of Europe.

After nan attack, a statement connected nan country's laws is gaining pace, pinch Graz Mayor Elke Kahr calling for a prohibition connected weapons successful nan backstage assemblage connected Tuesday evening. In her opinion, weapon licences are "simply issued excessively quickly".

Austrian newspaper Der Standard reported that location are astir 400,000 much weapons successful nan Alpine state coming than location were 5 years ago.

How wide are Austria's weapon laws?

Compared to different European countries specified arsenic Germany aliases France, Austria’s weapon laws are considered to beryllium somewhat much liberal, particularly successful really they let for handgun ownership and mention self-defence arsenic a logic to beryllium capable to transportation weapons.

Austria's Weapons Act divides firearms into 4 categories: Prohibited weapons (category A), firearms taxable to authorisation (category B), firearms taxable to registration (category C) and different firearms (category D).

The possession of class B weapons — specified arsenic pistols aliases semi-automatic rifles — is only permitted pinch a firearms licence aliases a firearms pass. The second besides authorises nan holder to transportation nan limb successful public.

Category C and D weapons — specified arsenic hunting rifles — whitethorn beryllium purchased from nan property of 18, but must beryllium registered successful nan Central Weapons Register wrong six weeks.

In Austria, nan basal requirements for ineligible possession of weapons see being of ineligible age, holding a imperishable residence permit, and not having a weapons ban.

Depending connected nan limb category, further impervious specified arsenic reliability, training, and grounds of justification whitethorn besides beryllium required.

Weapons and ammunition must beryllium stored safely astatine home, usually successful a weapon cabinet, and whitethorn only beryllium transported unloaded and successful a locked container.

Austrian authorities person wide condemned nan attack, said to beryllium Austria's worst wide shooting since World War II.

Austria’s President Alexander Van der Bellen said nan “horror could not beryllium put into words”, while Chancellor Christian Stocker has declared 3 days of nationalist mourning successful consequence to nan tragedy.