A 19-year-old Austrian citizen with North Macedonian roots was apprehended on Wednesday in Austria, suspected of plotting a terrorist attack on Taylor Swift’s now-canceled concerts in Vienna. The young man, who resided with his family in Ternitz, was taken into custody under strong suspicion of terrorism. Later in the day, a second individual, also believed to have been radicalized online, was arrested in connection with the alleged plot.
The teenager had reportedly pledged his allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State in early July. His focus was primarily on the concerts of pop star Taylor Swift, according to Franz Ruf, the director-general for public safety in the Ministry of the Interior. Swift’s concerts, which were scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna, were called off on Wednesday. Each show was projected to attract an audience of 65,000.
The event organizer, Barracuda Music, announced the cancellation of the three scheduled shows on Instagram, citing safety concerns. During the arrest of the 19-year-old, a bomb squad reportedly discovered chemical substances. Investigators are currently working to ascertain if these substances could have been used to construct a bomb.
The town of Ternitz, where the suspect lived with his family, is approximately 43 miles south of Vienna. It remains unclear whether there is any connection between Wednesday’s arrests and the tragic mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed children’s dance class in Southport, England, on July 29. During the incident, a 17-year-old male killed three people and injured several others.
The suspect, Axel Rudakubana, was charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder. Officials identified him as being from Cardiff, but also noted that his parents are Rwandan. Following the stabbings, unrest and violence spread across the United Kingdom, prompting Prime Minister Keir Starmer to condemn the violence and attribute it to “far-right thuggery.”