Police provide assessment on safety of Taylor Swift’s U.K. shows following reported attack plan.
The suspect’s plan to attack the tens of thousands of Taylor Swift fans gathered outside the stadium in Vienna was revealed by Haijawi-Pirchner during a press conference, as reported by Reuters.
Haijawi-Pirchner mentioned that the suspect had been influenced by radical Islamist propaganda, particularly from Islamic State and Al Qaeda. According to NBC News, the official disclosed that the man had recently pledged allegiance to the current leader of Islamic State on an online platform.
Aside from the 19-year-old suspect, two other Austrians aged 17 and 15 were taken into custody in connection with the planned attack. Haijawi-Pirchner informed the media that Islamic State and Al Qaeda materials were discovered at the residence of the older teenager, who had been briefly employed by a company involved in providing services for the Swift concerts, as per NBC News.
“We have averted a terrorist incident involving a suicide bomber,” stated Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, as reported on X. “It is a significant success that no casualties occurred.”