Austrian police have questioned three teenagers suspected of plotting a suicide attack at a Taylor Swift concert, raising fresh concerns about online radicalization among youth.
According to CNN, Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, said the alleged plot was uncovered with assistance from foreign intelligence agencies.
The US also issued a warning to Austrian authorities in Vienna. As a result, organizers have canceled three of Swift’s shows, which were set to take place in the city this weekend.
Authorities discovered a cache of chemicals, explosives, and detonators at the residence of the primary suspect, a 19-year-old ISIS sympathizer who had been radicalized online.
This individual, arrested on Wednesday morning in Ternitz, intended to carry out an attack using explosives and knives, aiming to kill himself and a significant number of people during the concert, as reported by Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of the domestic intelligence agency.
Two other suspects, aged 17 and 15, were also detained. The 17-year-old, employed by a facilities company servicing the concert venue, was apprehended near the stadium.
He had recently ended a relationship. Information on the 15-year-old remains limited, with prosecutors yet to determine his role in the alleged scheme.
All three suspects are Austrian citizens of Turkish, North Macedonian, or Croatian descent.
They were in contact with others who were aware of the plan, but no additional suspects are being sought at this time.
The concert cancellations have evoked a mix of sadness and relief among Taylor Swift’s fans in Vienna.
Swift’s Eras Tour, known for its cultural impact and economic boost to host cities, has left many disappointed.
