Austria: Main Suspect in Taylor Swift Concert Plot Backed ISIS

Parked trucks at the Ernst Happel Stadium after all three of American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's concerts were canceled by the organizer due to the risk of an attack, in Vienna, Austria, 08 August 2024. EPA/MAX SLOVENCIK

Authorities found ISIS group and al-Qaeda material at the home of the second and final suspect in a foiled plot to attack now-canceled Taylor Swift shows in Austria. No other suspects are being sought after the two were arrested, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said Thursday in Vienna.
“The situation was serious, the situation is serious. But we can also say: A tragedy was prevented,” he said.
The head of Austria's Directorate of State Protection and Intelligence (DSN) said there is no current information suggesting a specific threat to upcoming events in Austria, but security measures remain high.
Austrian security authorities said the second suspect, a 17-year-old Austrian citizen with Turkish and Croatian roots, was arrested by special police forces near the stadium where the concerts were supposed to take place this week. A 19-year-old Austrian had also been arrested. The suspects' names were not released in line with Austrian privacy rules.
Austrian security officials alleged the two young men wanted to commit an attack outside the stadium, killing as many people as possible using knives or self-made explosives.
They told reporters at a press conference in Vienna that the main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian with North Macedonian roots, fully confessed his attack plans. They said he was “clearly radicalized in the direction of the ISIS group and thinks it is right to kill infidels.”
The second suspect was employed a few days ago by a facility company providing services at the venue during the concerts. Investigators said they found extensive material related to the ISIS group and al-Qaeda at his home.
The cancellations of three sold-out concerts this week devastated Swifties across the globe, many of whom had dropped thousands of euros on travel and lodging in Austria’s expensive capital city for the sold-out Eras Tour shows on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Ernst Happel Stadium, which sat empty Thursday morning aside from media filming outside.