Bomb-making supplies had been discovered within the residence of one in every of two folks suspected of planning a terror assault on upcoming Taylor Swift concert events in Vienna, authorities mentioned Thursday, including that each suspects seemed to be impressed by the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda.
The primary suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian citizen, absolutely confessed to assault plans throughout an interrogation, in line with Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of Austria’s Directorate of State Safety and Intelligence.
Austria’s Director-Common for Public Security within the Ministry of the Inside Franz Ruf and the Vienna State Police President Gerhard Puerstl converse throughout a press conferenc in Vienna, Austria August 7, 2024 on this display screen seize obtained from a video.
Austrian Inside Ministry by way of Reuters
The suspect was “clearly radicalized within the course of the Islamic State” and allegedly meant to kill himself and “as many individuals as potential” exterior the live performance venue utilizing knives and selfmade explosives, Haijawi-Pirchner mentioned at a information convention Thursday.
Members of media stand close to the home of the principle suspect, following the cancellation of three Taylor Swift concert events at Happel stadium in Vienna after the federal government confirmed a deliberate assault on the venue, in Ternitz, Austria August 8, 2024.
Elisabeth Mandl/Reuters
The 19-year-old, who was from the Austrian city of Ternitz and had North Macedonian roots, had been making ready for the assault since late July and drastically modified his look, in line with Franz Ruf, the general public safety director at Austria’s Ministry of Inside. The 19-year-old researched bomb-making strategies and uploaded to the web an oath of allegiance to the present chief of the Islamic State, Haijawi-Pirchner mentioned.
A second suspect — a 17-year-old Austrian citizen — was arrested in Vienna on Wednesday afternoon. A 15-year-old Turkish citizen was additionally detained and questioned, in line with Haijawi-Pirchner. No additional suspects are being sought, Ruf mentioned.
Safety guards take away boundaries in entrance of the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna, Austria, on August 8, 2024.
Alex Halada/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Every of the 2 suspects was recognized to police and each had been mentioned to have been concerned within the direct preparation of the foiled assault, in line with Haijawi-Pirchner. Many of the plans and preparations had been made on the 19-year-old’s residence, Ruf mentioned.
The 15-year-old, who was interrogated, had been requested by the principle suspect about ignition mechanisms, Haijawi-Pirchner mentioned.
A normal view of Ernst Happel Stadium on August 08, 2024 in Vienna, Austria.
Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Photographs
The 17-year-old suspect, who has Turkish-Croatian roots, was employed a couple of days in the past at a facility firm offering providers on the live performance venue and would have been working there, in line with Haijawi-Pirchner. It was found in the course of the investigation that he was on the grounds of Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium, the place Swift’s concert events had been to be held.
Swift had concert events scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Vienna.
When Ruf introduced the arrests on Wednesday, he mentioned safety on the reveals could be elevated. Hours later, the concert events had been canceled.
“We’ve no selection however to cancel the three scheduled reveals for everybody’s security,” a message from Barracuda Music mentioned. “All tickets will probably be robotically refunded.”
Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as a part of her Eras Tour, June 21, 2024, in London.
Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, FILE
The Vienna reveals had been anticipated to attract 65,000 concertgoers per day, with a further 10,000 to fifteen,000 followers exterior of the realm, police mentioned.
A type of followers planning to attend a Vienna present, Joelle Ferri, informed ABC Information that, regardless of the cancellation, Swifties have gathered to sing tune and make associates.
“There are such a lot of Swifties in all places buying and selling bracelets, sporting merch, sporting the outfits they had been going to put on for the live performance,” Ferri mentioned. “That is genuinely essentially the most lovely factor I’ve skilled, seeing everybody come collectively after such a horrible factor occurred and everybody stored their head excessive and made it a great expertise for everybody.”
One other would-be concertgoer, Colleen Boltz, informed ABC Information she was on the airport in Minneapolis, en path to Vienna, when she discovered the present was canceled.
“We nonetheless plan on going to Vienna and taking part within the Swiftie gatherings. I’m assembly up with Swifties that I met on-line and it’ll nonetheless be a blast,” she mentioned.
Boltz additionally has a ticket to one in every of Swift’s upcoming London reveals. The pop star is about to return to London’s Wembley Stadium from Aug. 15 to Aug. 20.
“We actually hope that she doesn’t have to cancel London,” Boltz mentioned.
ABC Information’ Aaron Katersky, Will Gretsky, Emily Shapiro, Josh Margolin, Luke Barr and Gaby Vinick contributed to this report.
