Europe’s Grim Record: A Look Back at 40 Years of Mass Shootings

Tragedy Strikes Austria: A Deadly School Shooting in Graz

In June 2025, the southern Austrian city of Graz was rocked by its deadliest school shooting in modern history. A lone gunman opened fire at a secondary school, killing at least nine people and injuring several others before dying at the scene. This harrowing event has once again thrust Europe’s ongoing struggle with mass shootings into the spotlight.

A Dark Legacy: Europe’s Mass Shootings Over Four Decades

While mass shootings typically are associated with other parts of the world, Europe has witnessed its share of devastating attacks over the past 40 years. From rampages in small towns to coordinated terrorist strikes, these tragedies have left deep scars on communities and exposed continuing challenges surrounding gun violence.

Notable Mass Shootings Across Europe Since the 1980s

1. May 1987, Belgium: Michael Van Wijnendaele killed seven before taking his own life as police closed in.
2. August 1987, Britain: Michael Ryan’s stabbing spree in Hungerford resulted in 16 dead and 11 wounded before he committed suicide.
3. July 1989, France: A farmer went on a shooting rampage near the Swiss border, killing 14 people, mostly family members.
4. September 1995, France: A 16-year-old in Cuers shot dead 15 people following a family dispute before turning the gun on himself.
5. March 1996, Britain: Thomas Hamilton’s brutal attack at Dunblane primary school claimed the lives of 16 children and a teacher.
6. April 2002, Germany: Robert Steinhauser killed 12 teachers, two pupils, a secretary, and a policeman at the Gutenberg Gymnasium before suicide.
7. September 2004, Russia: The Beslan school hostage crisis ended tragically with over 300 dead, many of them children, after militants seized the school.
8. November 2007, Finland: Pekka-Eric Auvinen’s rampage at Jokela High School killed seven, including himself.
9. September 2008, Finland: Matti Saari killed 10 at a vocational school in Kauhajoki before committing suicide.
10. March 2009, Germany: A teenage gunman near Stuttgart killed nine students, three teachers, and two bystanders before dying in a police shootout.
11. June 2010, Britain: Derrick Bird’s shooting spree across Cumbria killed 12 people and injured 11 before he took his own life.
12. August 2010, Slovakia: A gunman killed six members of a Roma family and another woman in Bratislava, then committed suicide.
13. April 2011, Netherlands: Tristan van der Vlis killed six people in a mall shooting before ending his own life.
14. July 2011, Norway: Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 in Oslo and at a youth summer camp in one of Europe’s deadliest attacks.
15. November 2015, France: Coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris claimed 130 lives, injuring hundreds, primarily at the Bataclan music hall.
16. July 2016, Germany: An 18-year-old killed nine people in Munich before taking his own life.
17. March 2023, Germany: A gunman opened fire at a Jehovah’s Witness hall in Hamburg, killing six and wounding eight, including a pregnant woman who lost her unborn child.
18. May 2023, Serbia: A 13-year-old student shot eight classmates and a security guard in Belgrade; days later, another attacker killed eight people in a nearby village.
19. December 2023, Czech Republic: A university shooting in Prague left 14 victims dead along with the attacker, who also allegedly killed three others prior.
20. March 2024, Russia: Militants struck Crocus City Hall near Moscow, killing at least 139 people and wounding 182, with Islamic State claiming responsibility.
21. July 2024, Croatia: A gunman killed six residents, including his mother, in a nursing home shooting.
22. February 2025, Sweden: An adult education center became the scene of Sweden’s deadliest mass shooting with 11 lives lost.

Confronting the Challenge of Gun Violence in Europe

This timeline underscores the disturbing recurrence of mass shootings across Europe, pushing governments and societies to grapple with preventive measures. Though gun laws vary widely among European countries, debates on strengthening firearm regulations continue, fueled by these tragedies.

Each incident is a somber reminder of the lives lost and the pressing need for vigilance, better mental health support, and community awareness to address the root causes behind such violence.

Looking Ahead

In the wake of the recent tragedy in Graz, Austria, European nations face renewed calls to tighten security and develop comprehensive strategies to avert future mass shootings. While no solution is simple, fostering united efforts remains essential to protect communities and save lives.