The teenage suspects arrested for plotting an ISIS-inspired terror attack at one of Taylor Swift’s concerts in Austria this week had planned to drive a car loaded with explosives into the crowd to kill as many people as possible. The suspects, ages 19 and 17, had also just been hired to work security at the venue.
Authorities revealed that the two men, who had become radicalized online by ISIS, had intended to carry out the attack outside the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna, where Swift was scheduled to perform three sold-out shows. They allegedly wanted to use homemade explosives and machetes to massacre fans.
The 19-year-old suspect, an Austrian national with North Macedonian roots, had amassed chemical substances and technical devices in his home, and had made progress in building the bomb he planned to strap to the car. Meanwhile, the 17-year-old suspect, an Austrian citizen with Turkish and Croatian origins, had recently been employed by a company providing services at the venue.
The pair had displayed behavioral changes in the lead-up to their arrests, with the older suspect quitting his job and telling people he had “something big” planned, while the younger one had recently broken up with his girlfriend. They had also been in contact with others who were aware of the terror plot.
Both suspects were under surveillance by Austrian authorities and were known risks before their arrests. Investigators found extensive material related to ISIS and al-Qaeda during a raid on the younger suspect’s home. The main suspect, the 19-year-old, had allegedly sworn allegiance to the Islamic State’s leader online.
The three Taylor Swift concerts, which were expected to draw 195,000 people, were canceled due to the threat. Event organizers cited confirmation from government officials about the planned attack at the stadium.
The news of the thwarted terror plot and the subsequent cancellations devastated Swift’s fans, known as “Swifties,” across the globe. Austrian officials expressed their regret over the situation, emphasizing that a tragedy had been prevented through the cooperation of law enforcement and intelligence agencies.