Suspect aimed to kill ‘large crowd of people’ at Taylor Swift show with bombs and knives
- The 19-year-old man arrested in Vienna, Austria, had researched explosives online, and had quit his job ahead of his ‘big plans’
A 19-year-old man who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State militant group has confessed to plotting an attack on the Vienna leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, Austrian security authorities said on Thursday.
He had wanted to use home-made bombs and knives to kill people during one of Swift’s performance, said Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, director of state security and intelligence in the Austrian Interior Ministry.
The main suspect and a second person, aged 17, were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of plans to attack major events in Vienna, including Swift’s concerts, said Franz Ruf, director general for public security in the Interior Ministry.
No further suspected terrorists are currently being sought, but the investigations surrounding the duo are continuing at full speed, said Ruf.
A 15-year-old who had been in contact with the main suspect was also being questioned and was in custody. He is said to have been aware of the 19-year-old’s terrorist plans, but the extent to which he was involved remains the subject of investigation.
The 19-year-old did not have a concert ticket but intended to strike near the Ernst Happel Stadium. He was part of an Islamist network and already on the police’s radar, the official said.
