Taylor Swift Vienna Concert Terror Plot: Teen Suspect Confesses To Deadly Plan

The prime suspect in a foiled terror attack on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concerts in Vienna, Austria confessed he “planned to kill himself and a large number of other people with knives and explosive devices,” according to Austrian officials as NBC News reported. The canceled shows were set to begin tonight (August 8) at the Ernst Happel Stadion and run through August 10.

The prime suspect is a 19-year-old Austrian with connections to North Macedonia. Austria’s Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, said in a press conference that the suspect downloaded bomb-building manuals. Hydrogen peroxide, homemade explosives, detonators and detonator cables were found at the suspect’s home.

Haijawi-Pirchner also revealed that Islamic State terrorist group and Al Qaeda materials were discovered at the residence of a second suspect, a 17-year-old Austrian citizen with Turkish and Croatian roots. The second suspect was employed by a company that would have provided services at the concert, although Haijawi-Pirchner did not go into specifics on the services the company provided.

Both suspects had videos and screenshots of home laboratories, which are often shared by ISIS and Al Qaeda, on their phones. Additionally, a 15-year old Austrian national with Turkish roots is currently being questioned as a third suspect.

While authorities are not looking at anyone else in connection to the plot, there may be others who were aware of the plans and the investigation is ongoing, according to Haijawi-Pirchner, who added, “There is no information of explicit danger to further concerts.”

Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner also weighed in on the thwarted attack.

“The situation was serious, the situation is serious,” he said. “But we can also say: A tragedy was prevented.”

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer wrote “the cancellation of the Taylor Swift concerts by the organizers [Barracuda Music] is a bitter disappointment for all fans in Austria.”

He added thanks to cooperation between authorities, foreign and domestic, “the threat could be recognized early on, tackled and a tragedy prevented.” The U.S. intelligence community initially alerted Austrian officials of the plot.

An Instagram account run by Swift’s team, Taylor Nation, posted information about the canceled concerts including a website to request refunds.