Authorities in Austria have revealed further details of the terrifying attack plans Taylor SwiftNow canceled shows in Vienna, Austria this weekend. On Thursday (August 8), the Associated Press reported that the prime suspect in the case made a full confession to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue.”
Officials said the 19-year-old suspect with North Macedonian roots had pledged allegiance to Islamic State after being radicalized online and planned to attack the Ernst Happel Stadium shows scheduled for August 8-10. The person identified as the main conspirator reportedly quit his regular job and “visibly changed his appearance and adapted to IS [Islamic State] propaganda.” The head of Austria's Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, said the main suspect allegedly wanted to use knives or improvised explosives to attack Swift fans outside the stadium in an attempt to spark mass protests. show losses.is expected to draw more than 195,000 Swifties over the weekend.
The 19-year-old also allegedly uploaded a pledge of allegiance to the current leader of the Islamic State militia on an online account, and during a raid on his home, investigators said they found chemicals and unnamed “technical devices” hinting at “specific preparatory acts ». The AP it also said IS and al-Quida material was also found at the home of a second, 17-year-old Austrian suspect, who was reportedly hired earlier this week by a firm providing services in the field. this suspect was arrested by special police forces near the stadium.
Reuters Austria was mentioned Courier The newspaper said sources familiar with the investigation said the prime suspect had allegedly stolen chemicals from his former workplace, a metal processing plant in his hometown of Ternitz, and had made progress in building a bomb. According to reports, more than 60 houses around the suspect's home – where he lived with his parents – were evacuated during the search.
At press time none of the suspects had been named in accordance with Austrian privacy rules. A third person, a 15-year-old boy who had contact with both suspects, was also reportedly questioned by police. In a statement on Wednesday, Barracuda Music, concert promoters of the Austrian shows, said: “With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at the Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone's safety . All tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 working days.”
Wednesday's decision to cancel the trio of shows left thousands of Swifties disappointed and disappointed, with CNN citing a number of fans who traveled long distances and spent thousands of dollars on tickets, custom clothing and travel to see arguably the biggest tour in pop history lauded the plot's failure even as they mourned the missed opportunity.
The nation's vice chancellor, Werner Kögler wrote in X: “For many, a the dream was shattered today. Three nights in Vienna, tens of thousands of #Swifties should have celebrated life together.”
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer also commented on X, calling the cancellation of the shows “bitter disappointment for all fans in Austria,” while calling the planned terrorist plot “very serious” and thanking the state's investigative services and the Vienna police for recognizing the plot in time and averting a potential tragedy.
“We live in an age where violent means are being used to attack our Western way of life. “Islamic terrorism threatens security and freedom in many Western countries,” he wrote. “It is important that we remain vigilant, stand united and take decisive action against Islamism.”
News of the attack brought to mind the 2017 bombing of an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, that killed 22 people and injured more than 200. In a 2019 essay resurfaced in EllaSwift candidly discussed her anxiety about performing live after that ISIS-related suicide bombing and the same year's mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Music festival in Las Vegas that claimed 64 lives and left more than 400 injured.
“My biggest fear,” Swift wrote at the time, “After the Manchester Arena bombing and the Vegas concert, I was completely terrified to go on tour this time because I didn't know how we were going to keep 3 million fans safe. over seven months. There has been a tremendous amount of planning, expense and effort to keep my fans safe.”
CNN cited a worrying pattern in recent months of teenagers going from chatting online to radicalizing and planning attacks in the real world, with terrorism expert Peter Neumann issuing a recent report showing teenagers accounted for nearly two-thirds of arrests linked to ISIS in Europe. the previous nine months. The study covering 27 IS-linked attacks or planned disturbances since October 2023 looked at 58 suspects, 38 of whom were aged between 13 and 19, with Europol figures showing that the number of attacks and planned of attacks “has more than quadrupled” since then. 2022.
At press time, Swift had not commented on the aborted plot, and a representative for the singer could not be reached for comment. Variety are reporting that the singer's next and final scheduled round of concerts on the European leg of the Eras tour will go ahead as planned. Swift is currently set to perform at London's Wembley Stadium for five sold-out nights (August 15-20), with authorities saying security is being stepped up as Scotland Yard assesses the information ahead of next week's concerts.
Swift had just announced five new opening acts for the London show: Raye, Suki Waterhouse, Maisie Peters, Holly Humberstone and Sofia Isella. After the scheduled shows at Wembley, the singer has more than a month off before his scheduled return to North America in October for a final run of dates that kicks off on October 18 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-vienna-terror-details-arrests-suspects-plot-bomb-knives-isis-1235749164/
