The public security director at Austria’s interior ministry, Franz Ruf, reported that chemical substances and technical equipment had been discovered at the home of a 19-year-old Austrian suspect who allegedly planned to attack an upcoming Vienna Taylor Swift concert.
On an internet account, the suspected terrorist recently published a pledge of allegiance to the current leader of ISIS.
Earlier, authorities announced that they had arrested two suspected extremists, one of whom appeared to be planning an attack on some event in Vienna area maybe including the concerts. The prime suspect—a 19-year-old Austro-Hungarian citizen from Ternitz—was taken into custody after he swore his loyalty to ISIS. A second person was apprehended in Vienna.
They were canceled by the government late on Wednesday in what was supposed as a preemptive strike against a potential act of terrorism.
The cancellation of three sold-out Eras Tour shows scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Ernst Happel Stadium has left Swifties around the world devastated. So many fans spent large amounts on travelling and accommodation to find out that there is no one in the stadium on Thursday morning only media filming outside it.
Barracuda Music Events posted on Instagram saying they “had no other option but cancel all three planned shows for everybody’s safety” referring to statements made by government officials about an intended strike at this stadium.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer expressed disappointment for her fans while noting that this threat was detected early enough and prevented from happening as a result of rigorous collaboration between law enforcement agencies and intelligence services.
In 2017, 22 people died during an Ariana Grande gig in Manchester, England after Salman Abedi detonated a backpack bomb inside Manchester Arena moments after thousands of teenage music-lovers exited at its conclusion. Over 100 more people sustained injuries. Abedi lost his own life in the explosion.
