Authorities in Vienna, Austria have announced that the suspects in the foiled terror plot for the now-cancelled Taylor Swift shows appear to have been inspired by the Islamic State militant group (ISIS).
On Thursday, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner announced that two suspects were arrested in connection to a planned terrorist attack at the Swift concerts in Vienna later this week.
"The situation was serious, the situation is serious. But we can also say: A tragedy was prevented," Karner said.
The two suspects that were arrested included a 17-year-old and a 19-year-old. Authorities did not release the identities of the two suspects but noted that the 17-year-old was an Austrian citizen with ties to Turkey and Croatia. The 17-year-old was arrested near the Ernst Happel stadium in Vienna, where the concert was planned to take place.
Security for the shows was heightened after a 19-year-old was arrested in Ternitz, about an hour south of Vienna. However, the three shows, scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday were later canceled by the organizer.
The two men were suspected of wanting to carry out a terror attack outside of the stadium, in hopes of killing as many people as possible, Austrian security officials said.
During a press conference, officials said that the 19-year-old was considered to be the main suspect in the plot and he later admitted to the plans. The 19-year-old suspect was from Austria with ties to North Macedonia and was "clearly radicalized in the direction of the Islamic State and thinks it is right to kill infidels."
Authorities recently uncovered that the second suspect had been hired by a facility management company servicing the concert venue just days prior to the events. During a search of his residence, investigators discovered substantial materials linked to the Islamic State group and al-Qaida.
Franz Ruf, Austria's Interior Ministry public safety director said that other evidence, including certain devices and chemical substances, were found at the residence of the 19-year-old suspect. Ruf also noted that a few days prior to his arrest, the 19-year-old suspect shared a social media post to the Islamic State group militia where he had pledged his allegiance to the leader of the terrorist group.
In a post to X, formerly Twitter, Austria's Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler shared his thoughts on the incident saying "For many, a dream has been shattered today. Tens of thousands #Swifties were supposed to celebrate life together in Vienna over three evenings. I am very sorry that you are denied this. Swifties stick together, hate and terror cannot destroy that."
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer also responded to the cancellation on X, saying "the cancellation of the Taylor Swift concerts by the organizers is a bitter disappointment for all fans in Austria. The situation surrounding the apparently planned terrorist attack in Vienna was very serious."
"We live in a time in which violent means are being used to attack our western way of life. Islamist terrorism threatens security and freedom in many western countries. This is precisely why we will not give up our values such as freedom and democracy, but will defend them even more vehemently. These values are the foundation of our society and make us resilient against extremism and terrorism. It is important to remain vigilant, stand together and take decisive action against Islamism," the chancellor added.
In a post on Instagram, Barracuda Music, the organizer of the Swift concert, announced that it had been canceled saying "with confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone's safety."
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