Austrian authorities reported the arrest of three teenage males on Wednesday, suspected of planning an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna. The threat prompted organizers to cancel three of the singer’s scheduled performances.
The primary suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian citizen, was apprehended in Ternitz, a town about 30 miles from Vienna, according to Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence.
At a Thursday news conference, Haijawi-Pirchner revealed that the suspect had intended to carry out a suicide attack using knives and explosives, aiming to kill “as many people as possible” at the concert.
Authorities discovered explosives, detonators, and chemicals in the 19-year-old’s residence and noted that he had been researching bomb-making techniques.
Haijawi-Pirchner stated that the young man had been “clearly radicalized” by the Islamic State and had pledged allegiance to the terrorist group’s leader. The suspect is cooperating with authorities and has fully admitted to the plot.
Franz Ruf, the director-general for public safety in the Ministry of the Interior, disclosed that the suspect, who has North Macedonian roots, had been planning the attack since July.
Authorities released an image of the 19-year-old posing with knives. The other two teenagers arrested were a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old. The 17-year-old has refused to speak with investigators, who found Islamic State and Al-Qaeda propaganda at his home.
The 19-year-old, who is of Turkish and Croatian descent, was employed by a facilities company contracted to provide services at the concert venue. Authorities did not specify the nature of these services. He was arrested outside the concert stadium after recently breaking up with his girlfriend.
Neither the 19-year-old nor the 17-year-old possessed tickets to the concerts, authorities noted. Little information was provided about the 15-year-old, who was also questioned by police.
Ruf mentioned that the three suspects were in contact with others aware of the planned attack, though authorities are not currently seeking additional suspects.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner credited foreign intelligence agencies with helping to uncover the plot, which led to the cancellation of the Eras Tour shows on Wednesday.
Many fans, some of whom had traveled from other continents, were already in Vienna for the concerts scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
In place of the concert, large groups of fans gathered near the venue on Thursday to sing Swift’s songs while police maintained a presence.
Ewald Tatar, head of Barracuda Music, the concert organizer, stated at a press conference that the shows were canceled to ensure the safety of concert-goers and those outside the stadium.
He anticipated crowds of up to 15,000 people gathering before the concerts, which could have swelled to nearly 100,000 inside and outside the stadium once Swift took the stage.
Tatar expressed his approval of the decision, describing it as the “right” choice. Barracuda Music has assured that all tickets will be refunded within 10 days.
Europe has been on heightened alert for ISIS-related attacks on pop concerts, following several mass attacks by the group, including the 2017 bombing in Manchester that killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert.
