"Storm with a weapon"

Amok alarm at school: psychologists now on duty

A 13-year-old from Styria announced an act of bloodshed at a secondary school in eastern Styria. The investigation began, followed by a letter to the parents from the school management. The children are now receiving pastoral care.

"I will storm the school with a gun!" - As reported by the "Krone" newspaper, a 13-year-old Styrian in Eastern Styria caused horror last Friday with this threat. A schoolmate threatened by him raised the alarm with his parents, who informed the school management. The police and the Coordination Office for Violence and Radicalization Prevention were called in. Even more frightening: investigators seized the suspect's cell phone and discovered abusive images of children as well as Nazi imagery.

However, the public prosecutor's office in Graz had to close its investigation. At 13, the boy is still too young to be prosecuted; he will not turn 14 until December. However, he will not get his cell phone back.

Letter to parents
The school management tried to reassure parents and pupils in a letter: There had been no danger to anyone in the school building at any time. Pupils are also being looked after by school psychologists. The Directorate of Education also responded: "We are taking the incident very seriously and are in close contact with the institutions involved."

After our story, politicians also had their say: both Governor Christopher Drexler (ÖVP) and FPÖ Member of the National Council Hannes Amesbauer called for tougher action against young offenders.