Austrian teenagers arrested in Taylor Swift concert terror plot

Roberto Wakerell-Cruz
  |   August 08, 2024   |   Be the first to comment

The suspects in a foiled plot to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, Austria were inspired by the Islamic State and al-Qaida, Austrian officials said on Thursday.

Investigators said that they found bomb-making materials at one of the homes of the suspects. Officials said that one of the suspects confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue.”

Fans of Swift were left disappointed on Wednesday after it was announced that three sold-out shows would be cancelled due to the plot. Organizers said they expected upwards of 65,000 fans to attend each concert, with as many as 30,000 onlookers expected outside. Authorities say that the suspects intended to strike outdoor attendees. The attack was planned for Thursday or Friday according to Austia’s interior minister Gerhard Karner.

The main suspect, 19, said that he had planned the attacks starting last month. Authorities said that the suspect had uploaded an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State in a post just a few weeks ago.

He was “clearly radicalized in the direction of the Islamic State and thinks it is right to kill infidels,” said Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, the Associated Press reports.

The suspect had planned to use knives or homemade explosives in the attack, authorities said.

Investigators found chemical substances and technical devices in the main suspect’s home in Ternitz, Austria, indicating “concrete preparatory acts.”

Authorities reported that they also discovered material related to the Islamic State group and al-Qaida at the residence of the second suspect, who is 17 years old. This suspect, who has remained silent so far, was recently hired by a company providing unspecified services at the concert venue. The 19-year-old suspect is an Austrian with North Macedonian heritage, while the 17-year-old is an Austrian with Turkish and Croatian heritage.

The North Macedonian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that it had received a request from Austria to investigate the 19-year-old. Both were arrested on Tuesday. Neither of their names were released, in line with Austrian privacy rules.

Karner stated that Austria's intelligence service collaborated closely with foreign intelligence agencies to apprehend the two teenagers.

While he did not specify which agencies were involved, he mentioned that their assistance was necessary because Austrian investigators, unlike some foreign services, are not legally permitted to monitor text messages.

No other suspects are currently being pursued, although a 15-year-old who had been in contact with both suspects was also questioned by police, according to Karner.

The incident comes after a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed event near Liverpool, England that saw three children stabbed to death and 10 other people, including eight children, injured. The 17-year-old suspect is the child of Rwandan immigrants to the United Kingdom. 

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