Weapon Despite Warning Signs: Graz Rampage Shooter Deemed Psychologically Unfit by the Military

After the school shooting in Graz, it became known that the 21-year-old perpetrator had been classified as psychologically unfit during the military's assessment. This was confirmed by military spokesperson Colonel Michael Bauer to the APA. According to him, the assessment commission had identified psychological instability.

No Data Sharing Despite Warning Signal

"Our system worked, but we had no legal basis to pass this on," said Bauer. A transmission is only possible in the case of specific requests by authorities – for example, in cases of drug offenses or proven immediate danger.

In contrast to the military's assessment, the perpetrator underwent a psychological test at a civilian authority in March of this year – and based on this confirmation, legally acquired a handgun.

Kunasek Demands Change in Legal Situation

Styria's Governor Mario Kunasek (FPÖ), himself a former Minister of Defense, expressed outrage over the legal situation. Speaking to Servus TV, he called for a legal reform: "This urgently needs to change." Currently, data protection prevents the exchange of relevant information about potentially dangerous individuals.

The Ministry of the Interior announced the relevant provisions in the Military Act in this context. It states that the "results of medical and psychological examinations, to which individuals were subjected to determine their suitability for military or training service," may only be transmitted to the following: to other authorities and departments within the execution area of the Ministry of Defense, to the examined individuals themselves, and with the written consent of the examined individuals to other authorities, institutions, and persons, but exclusively for the purposes of the health care of the respective examined individuals.

These provisions also apply to all results of medical and psychological examinations to which individuals are subjected during military or training service by military departments or at their instigation, it was further stated. The weapons authority should not have received this data by law to check the reliability under weapons law, the Ministry of the Interior reported.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.