The main suspect in a plot to target Taylor Swift’s upcoming “Eras Tour” performances in Vienna has admitted to intending to commit suicide with knives and explosives, Austrian officials said on Thursday.
Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, the chief of Austria’s Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, announced during a news conference that the 19-year-old Austrian of North Macedonian heritage had downloaded bomb-making guidelines.
Authorities found hydrogen peroxide, improvised bombs, detonators, and detonator cables in the suspect’s residence. Haijawi-Pirchner stated that the explosives had already been built.
“The situation was serious, the situation is serious. But we can also say: A tragedy was prevented,” stated Interior Minister Gerhard Karner at the same press conference. He added, “Large concerts are often a target of Islamist attacks.”
Haijawi-Pirchner stated that papers associated with the Islamic State terrorist group and Al Qaeda were discovered at the home of a second suspect, a 17-year-old Austrian citizen of Turkish and Croatian origin.
This second suspect had briefly worked for a company that planned to provide services at the performance, although the specific services were not specified. Police also discovered films and screenshots of home laboratories, which are commonly shared by ISIS and Al Qaeda, on the suspects’ phones.
Authorities are currently interrogating a third suspect, a 15-year-old Austrian national with Turkish ancestry.
According to Haijawi-Pirchner, no further suspects are being sought in connection with the conspiracy, however others may have been aware of the preparations and are still under investigation. “There is no information of explicit danger to further concerts,” according to him.
Franz Ruf, the Austrian Interior Ministry’s public security director, indicated that the lead suspect “gave a full confession” and verified that no other individuals are being pursued in connection with the case.
A senior US law enforcement official told NBC News that the US intelligence agency was the first to advise Austrian law enforcement about a potential terror assault, giving them a rough idea of what to look for.
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Swift was slated to perform at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with a projected crowd of 170,000 people over three days.
Following the uncovering of the conspiracy on Wednesday, Barracuda Music, the event organizer, cancelled the gigs for safety grounds. Taylor Nation, Swift’s team-managed Instagram account, shared the cancellation message, stating that all tickets would be returned and offering a refund request webpage.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer expressed his anger with X, calling the concert cancellations a painful loss for Austrian fans. He highlighted that the potential terror attack was dangerous, but praised the strong cooperation between police, Austrian, and foreign intelligence for averting a tragedy.
Swift has previously expressed her fears of a terrorist attack at one of her stadium shows. In a 2019 Elle magazine interview, she mentioned that after the Manchester Arena bombing and the Vegas concert shooting, she was terrified to go on tour again, unsure how to ensure the safety of three million fans over seven months. This concern was ahead of her “Lover Tour,” which was later canceled due to the COVID pandemic.
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