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Acquaintance of suspect in Taylor Swift concert plot convicted at trial in Austria

Acquaintance of suspect in Taylor Swift concert plot convicted at trial in Austria
What's happened, what's happened to cause the Taylor Swift to get *** concert to get canceled the security service. The Austrian security service got the information that the concert of Taylor Swift will be attacked due to an incident that will happen. And the 19 year old Austrian guy that is very high radicalized and who pledged allegiance for Isis will do an attack during three of the currents. So we started our investigation and we saw that it's *** broader network of Islamists. And yesterday we arrested the 19 year old guy, *** 17 year old Austrian guy. And uh we got also to the information that the younger guy, *** 15 year old Austrian citizen is also involved in the planning to attack *** concert. And all three of those individuals are now in police custody. All of the three are in police custody but have yet to be charged with certain crimes. Of course, we are just investigating. So there is *** lot of work to do for the security service in Austria. How are these uh how are these teenagers radicalized? And is it worrying to you that they are so young? 1917, 15 years old is that worrying to you? It's very boring. We can see that in Austria we have very young guys that are radicalized due to the fact that they are using the online propaganda that is brought out from ISIS and also ISKP. And we could see that they have *** very high radicalization and that they are also motivated to do X and I understand the 19 year old had some very worrying materials, chemicals, bomb plants. Can you tell me what you found in the 19 year old's property? And could he build *** bomb? Do you believe in your position that he could have built *** bomb? We found *** lot of precursors for building explosives and we also found explosive devices that he could use during the attack. And we understand that potentially either one of these suspects or *** suspect was related to somebody who worked at the stadium. Could you tell me more about this? Is this true? One of the suspects got an application *** few days ago for *** facility enterprise that is at the moment working for preparing the concert in the stadium. So he had applied for *** job, but he did not have *** job in, he had it. He was yesterday in the stadium. So when we arrested him, he was already in the stadium. This is the 19 year old, the 17 year old, the 17 year old was arrested inside the stadium outside but nearby the stadium and he had *** job with the stadium. And how long had he had this job for *** few days? For only *** few days. We understand that us officials, us agencies may have worked or given tips to the Austrian government. Is this true? Can you tell us more about we always working with us authorities and we also discussed the case yesterday with your US authorities. So that is true to the concrete topics we discussed with them. I don't want to give you any information or I couldn't give you any information. Why did this result in canceling the concerts? You know, first because it was, I think *** couple of hours first we heard there was *** plot but it didn't seem the concerts were canceled. Did the government decide to cancel the con concerts or was *** decision on the side of Taylor Swift? The decision was made by the event management of the concert. So you have to ask them, we got in contact with them and we tried to give them the whole information. Can we go back to the 19 year old suspect? I understand he may have had origins outside of Austria though he's an Austrian citizen. Could you tell me anything more? On the 19 origin is from North Macedonia? But he is born in Austria. So he lived for his whole life in Austria. And uh as I mentioned before, he was radicalized in the internet, he has contacts in the Islamic scene in Austria. And we could see that his contacts are also very high radicalized and he worked in *** chemical factory. Is that correct? And he stole things from the factory. Could you explain? He didn't work in the chemical industry? But he had an application for an enterprise where he could also have the possibility to get to these precursors? Ok. And was this stolen from his company? Did he steal any of these chemicals from his company at the moment? We are just investigating that case? So I couldn't say anything about that. Ok. And what do we know more about the 17 year old? I know you said he was the one found near the stadium had gotten this job only *** few days before. Is he also of other descent besides Austria? Is there any more details you can give me he's also an Austrian guy and he's *** friend of the first suspect. So we could see that in the last few days they had *** lot of contact together. Ok. And then the 15 year old, is he of *** Turkish background? Can you also give me more on the 15 year old who I know is still being we we were still learning more about his language. He was also born in Austria, but as you mentioned before, he has *** Turkish background. Yes. And he's also in the network of the two other suspects. Do you believe there are more people out there, more individuals out there that were involved, not at the moment, but as I mentioned before, the investigation is just running. So we would see what will come up and we've talked about how young they are. They're radicalized online. What are the main platforms that they're radicalized? Twitter? Is it Facebook? Is it Tik Tok? And how can the Austrian government stop this in the future? So, you know, they are using all kinds of social medias, we know. So, uh they are giving private messages. So it's encrypted communication in Austria at the moment, we don't have any chance to influence encrypted communication or to read encrypted communication as security authority and uh for future investigations, we would need that. Of course. Ok. And then can you explain to me what the plot was because I've heard different things that they were gonna attack outside or they were gonna attack inside or there was *** bomb first or there was, can you explain to me what the plot is exactly step by step as you understand it due to current investigation, we see that they wanted to do the attack outside the stadium but, you know, in the stadium or in the concert, uh many 1000 people would be outside of the stadium so they tried to attack them outside the stadium and that was the plot or the plan for that. I understand that maybe they were going to use *** car to drive over people and then use the bomb. Is this true? Can you give me any more details? We could see that they bought *** blue light for the car, like police cars are having this in Austria. So uh we are investigating the case and we would see if they would use the the blue light in order to prepare the attack, but we will see what the upcoming investigation will show us. What else do you want for us as people outside of Austria, what do you want them to know about what happened and how Austria can stay safe from these kinds of attacks in the future? So in my point of view, the threat was very serious and we did everything to avoid the dangerous sit the dangerous situation and uh we'll see what the upcoming investigation will show us in the future. Ok. And my final question with the 19 year old, he had explosive materials, but the concert was only going to happen tonight. So he didn't have *** bomb, right? So we were you still worried that he could have carried out explosives of some kind even though he did not have *** bomb? Yes, we already seized the explosive substances yesterday. So he would have the possibility to blow up *** bomb during the concert. Thank you so much.
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Updated: 9:54 AM CDT Jul 26, 2025
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Acquaintance of suspect in Taylor Swift concert plot convicted at trial in Austria
AP logo
Updated: 9:54 AM CDT Jul 26, 2025
Editorial Standards
An Austrian court on Friday convicted an acquaintance of the main suspect in last year's foiled plan to attack Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna on terrorism charges unrelated to the plot and sentenced him to two years in prison.The state court in Wiener Neustadt convicted the 18-year-old defendant, whose name was given only as Luca K. in line with local privacy rules, of involvement with a terrorist organization and criminal organization, the Austria Press Agency reported. He largely admitted to the accusations, which included sharing propaganda of the Islamic State group and glorifying an IS sympathizer who killed four people in Vienna in 2020.The suspect, who converted to Islam in 2022, was arrested shortly before the planned Swift concerts in August last year but was not charged with involvement in the plot. Defense lawyer Michael Dorn said he wasn't the closest friend of Beran A., the 20-year-old main suspect, who remains under investigation.The defendant said he now sees his actions as a mistake and is glad he was arrested, APA reported. "I have had a daughter, now I see life more seriously," he added.The time he has spent in custody will be deducted from the sentence. The verdict can be appealed.

An Austrian court on Friday convicted an acquaintance of the main suspect in last year's foiled plan to attack Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna on terrorism charges unrelated to the plot and sentenced him to two years in prison.

The state court in Wiener Neustadt convicted the 18-year-old defendant, whose name was given only as Luca K. in line with local privacy rules, of involvement with a terrorist organization and criminal organization, the Austria Press Agency reported. He largely admitted to the accusations, which included sharing propaganda of the Islamic State group and glorifying an IS sympathizer who killed four people in Vienna in 2020.

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The suspect, who converted to Islam in 2022, was arrested shortly before the planned Swift concerts in August last year but was not charged with involvement in the plot. Defense lawyer Michael Dorn said he wasn't the closest friend of Beran A., the 20-year-old main suspect, who remains under investigation.

The defendant said he now sees his actions as a mistake and is glad he was arrested, APA reported. "I have had a daughter, now I see life more seriously," he added.

The time he has spent in custody will be deducted from the sentence. The verdict can be appealed.