杏MAP导航

By Kielce Gussie

During his Wednesday General Audience, 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV remembered the victims of the school shooting in Graz, Austria on June 10. He offered his prayers for the victims of the tragedy.

鈥淢y thoughts are with the families, the teachers, and the students,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, asking God to 鈥渨elcome these children into His peace.鈥�

Early Tuesday morning, a 21-year-old former student opened fire at the Dreierschützengasse high school. 10 people, including one adult, were killed, while dozens more were injured. This is one of the worst outbreaks of violence in Austria鈥檚 modern history.

A member of the crisis intervention team sits in front of the memorial outside the high school in Graz, Austria

The country has declared three days of national mourning as its Chancellor, Christian Stocker, described it as 鈥渁 dark day in the history of our country鈥�, an act of 鈥渦nimaginable violence鈥� and a 鈥渘ational tragedy that has shocked us all.鈥�

Several European leaders have expressed their condolences following the shooting. European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, stressed that schools should be "symbols of youth, hope and the future", emphasizing that it is "hard to bear when schools become places of death and violence."

The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, shared her shock at the event and reiterated that "every child should feel safe at school and be able to learn free from fear and violence."