Suspect confesses plan for Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, wanted to blow himself up

This article was last updated on August 8, 2024

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Suspect confesses plan for Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, wanted to blow himself up

One of the two suspects who were arrested yesterday for planning an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna. The Austrian authorities announced this at a press conference.

Yesterday, two young people (19 and 17 years old) were arrested. The 19-year-old man has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group. He is seen as the main suspect and is also the one who confessed. He wanted to blow himself up at the concert.

According to police, no other suspects are being sought. A third person was questioned: a 15-year-old Austrian, but he was allowed to go home again.

According to the police, the 19-year-old has been radicalized via the internet in recent months. He was arrested in Ternitz, about 60 kilometers south of Vienna. The 17-year-old suspect was arrested in Vienna. He had contact with the other suspect, reports the ORF.

Homemade explosives

Explosives were made in the 19-year-old’s home, authorities said at the news conference. The plan is said to have been to kill people outside the stadium in Vienna. The suspects would also have wanted to use knives for this.

The 17-year-old suspect had started a job at the concert venue a few days ago. Due to the terrorist threat the three concerts cancelled that Taylor Swift had planned today, tomorrow and Saturday in the capital. Austrian Chancellor Nehammer reported on X that “a tragedy” has been prevented.

Austrian media reported this morning based on police sources that the terrorist threat in Austria has decreased considerably after the two arrests, but according to Austrian security chief Franz Ruf, the danger has not yet passed. Although there is no information pointing to a specific threat, strict Austrian security measures remain in place.

Correspondent Chiem Balduk:

“In Austria, according to the authorities, the terrorist threat has been high for months. This is partly due to the fact that there have already been a number of arrests of terrorist suspects who are said to have ties to IS and often specifically the IS branch ISK. That is a faction that is active in Central Asia and also claimed responsibility for the attack on a concert hall in Moscow this year.

Austria is said to be one of the countries with a large ISK following due to the large Central Asian diaspora there. So you can imagine that the fear of an attack is very great. We saw that too last Chrstmas and New Year’s Eve: there was then a threat in Vienna. At Easter there was another warning. In Austria they are doing everything they can to prevent an attack from actually happening.”

The cancellation of the concerts in Vienna is a big disappointment for the ‘Swifties’, the fans of the American pop star. They are known as fanatical fans and often spend several days visiting a concert. Many fans from other countries also often attend the concerts.

According to the head of the Vienna police, 65,000 concertgoers were expected per day. An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 fans would be added outside the stadium.

On social media you can see how fans burst into tears after the news:

Swifties in tears after canceled concerts in Vienna: ‘Glad everyone is safe’

Fans will receive a refund for their tickets within ten days, according to Taylor Swift’s website. Many had also already booked plane tickets and hotels. They have lost that money, which some are very frustrated about. But many fans also say that they understand that the concerts are canceled and that they are happy that a possible tragedy has been prevented.

The shops at the stadium with merchandise, such as clothing and other Swift gadgets, were already open. Many fans are already there. An Austrian fan tells Der Standard that he will still go to the stadium tomorrow “to buy some consolation merchandise”. Her daughter had been looking forward to the concert for months. She understands the cancellation. “I’m relieved, even though my daughter has been crying for over an hour, because I wouldn’t have felt comfortable going there.”

Taylor Swift herself has not yet responded to the news. British police say there is no indication that the events in Vienna will affect concerts in Britain. The singer will conclude the European part of her world tour later this month in London. ‘The Eras Tour’ then continues in Canada.

Taylor Swift’s music was the most streamed worldwide last year and her current tour has already generated more than 1 billion dollars:

‘Swifties’ had to wait 9 years, but Taylor Swift is back in the Netherlands