The government announced proposals to make it harder to buy a firearm following a tragic incident in which a gunman killed nine students and a teacher.
The Austrian government proposed a bundle of new laws on private gun ownership on Wednesday, eight days after the deadliest school shooting in the country’s history.
The proposed measures include raising the minimum age to own certain firearms, including handguns, from 21 to 25 years, strengthening the mandatory psychological test required for gun purchases, and instituting a four-week waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a first weapon.
Additionally, the government aims to facilitate the sharing of psychological evaluation results among government agencies.
Chancellor Christian Stocker acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating, “Nothing we do, including what we have decided today, will bring back the 10 people we lost last Tuesday. We are painfully aware of this. But I can promise you one thing: We will learn from this tragedy.”
The suspect in the shooting, a 21-year-old former student of the school, was found dead in an apparent suicide. His identity has not been disclosed due to Austrian privacy laws. The attack resulted in the deaths of nine students and a teacher, with the motive still unclear. However, police confirmed the suspect had a fascination with past school shootings.
Despite failing a psychological test required for military service and being described as antisocial by acquaintances, the suspect legally purchased the firearms used in the attack—a modified Glock pistol and a shotgun.
Lawmakers are expected to approve the new rules by a significant majority, reflecting the shock felt across the country following the attack in Graz, Austria’s second-largest city.
Austria currently has some of the most lenient gun ownership laws in Europe. Under existing regulations, the shotgun used in the attack can be purchased by anyone over 18, and the suspect obtained the handgun after passing a psychological test.
There are approximately 1.5 million privately owned firearms registered in Austria, a country with a population of just over nine million, primarily for hunting or sport shooting. Chancellor Stocker assured that hunters would not be adversely affected by the new regulations.
The proposals also include measures unrelated to firearms, such as doubling the number of school psychologists over the next three years and mandating psychological assessments for students who drop out. Additionally, the government seeks to restrict children's access to social media.
The broad support for strengthening gun laws was evident when Herbert Kickl, the leader of the far-right Freedom Party, typically an opponent of government proposals, spoke in Parliament. Instead of opposing the new controls, he suggested that the government take more time to formulate recommendations.
As the investigation into the attack continues, police reported finding five clips for the pistol on the shooter’s body and another 18 bullets in his backpack. The shooter reportedly fired the handgun approximately 50 times before taking his own life in the school laboratory, shortly after officers arrived at the scene.
Police also confirmed that the suspect posted a photo of himself in a school bathroom on social media just before the attack.
In response to the tragedy, the government announced it would allocate 20 million euros (about $23 million) to assist the families of the victims with expenses such as funerals.