Knife attack at Schongau Gymnasium: First school day after the attack, investigation against 16-year-old

Course of the attack and investigation status

According to investigators, a 16-year-old former student of the school attacked two 13-year-old female classmates with a knife on Friday. Both girls were seriously injured. The Munich II Public Prosecutor's Office is conducting proceedings against the Croatian youth on two counts of attempted murder; he is being held in pretrial detention in a correctional facility.

The public prosecutor's office and police stated that during investigations in 2025 into incidents involving the suspect – including threats against classmates and glorification of school shootings on social media – grounds for detention had never been established. The suspect was known to the security authorities and had been in psychiatric treatment at times. At the Schongau Gymnasium, he had been temporarily excluded from classes twice before being deregistered and enrolled at another school.

On the day of the attack, according to police, the suspect fired a shot from a pistol found on him, which missed everyone; the weapon did not discharge any further shots. He then attacked the two 13-year-old girls with a knife, according to investigators. In addition to the suspected murder weapon, the knife, officers also secured ammunition.

Weapons from the darknet?

Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) said regarding the origin of the weapons that the suspect had himself spoken of a possible procurement via the darknet. Investigators searched the parents' home of the 16-year-old and, according to the Upper Bavaria South Police Headquarters, are also evaluating digital data. The investigation into the motive is ongoing.

Bavaria's Education Minister Anna Stolz (Free Voters) visited the school the day after the attack, thanked teachers and students, and praised the actions of several young people as life-saving. She said, "eines der Mädchen wäre sehr wahrscheinlich verblutet, wenn sie das nicht gemacht hätten. Also die haben ihr wahrscheinlich das Leben gerettet… Das sind echte Helden für mich."

Students and teachers as first responders

The 19-year-old student Levi Lachmann described how he and other classmates reacted immediately. "Die Ersten haben gleich Rettungskräfte und Polizei angerufen. Mitschüler von mir, ich hab auch gleich natürlich mitgeholfen, haben ihre Hemden und Shirts von sich gerissen, haben sie als Druckverbände benutzt, um die Blutungen zu stillen. Alles mit voller Kraft draufgedrückt," said Lachmann. He and other students had also retrieved first-aid kits from their cars and sterile compresses from the school's medical room.

Lachmann further reported that the school community is generally sensitized to emergencies, but cannot be prepared for such an extreme case. "Wir standen alle unter Adrenalin," he said with regard to the first minutes. "Für solche Notfälle kann man nicht vorbereitet sein. Das ist ein Extremfall."

Police spokesperson Stefan Sonntag emphasized that the arrest of the suspect was also thanks to the courageous intervention of teachers: "Auch dem couragierten Eingreifen von Lehrern ist zu verdanken, dass er so schnell festgenommen werden konnte." Investigators questioned students and teachers; the two seriously injured 13-year-old girls are to be interviewed once their health condition permits, according to police.

Schongau's Mayor Thomas Schleich spoke of a black day for the town of around 12,000 inhabitants. "Es ist ein schwarzer Tag für Schongau… Wir werden im Rathaus greifbar sein für Leute, die einen Ansprechpartner brauchen," said Schleich, who is himself the father of three children, two of whom attend the school. "Ich bin auch Familienvater. Ich habe drei Kinder, und zwei Kinder gehen hier auch zur Schule."

Reactions from politics and the town

According to the information, the attack and its background are also being taken up politically beyond Schongau. In addition to Education Minister Stolz and Interior Minister Herrmann, other representatives of the Bavarian state government, including CSU state group leader Alexander Dobrindt, commented on security issues in the school environment and on the role of the darknet in weapons procurement. Concrete consequences for schools and security authorities were not initially announced.

The Munich II Public Prosecutor's Office announced that the evaluation of the seized digital devices and the weapons found on the 16-year-old – including a pistol, ammunition, and the suspected murder weapon, the knife – would take some time. Initial results on the possible procurement of the firearm via the darknet and on the suspect's motive are not expected before the coming weeks.

Outlook on the investigation

At the Schongau Gymnasium, classes on Thursday were initially on a voluntary basis, according to the school administration. Students who did not want to come or did not feel able to were not obligated to attend. Parents were also able to continue keeping their children at home after consultation with the class teachers; the school offered additional rooms and counseling services for those affected.

Police also called on parents and students to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious observations. According to the current state of the investigation, there is no direct danger to school operations. The next steps – in particular possible security measures and the question of increased police presence at Bavarian schools – are to be discussed in the coming days, according to the Interior Ministry.