The teenager who allegedly planned a terrorist attack at a Taylor Swift concert intended to drive into the crowd of young fans before detonating a suicide vest, officials said. The 19-year-old Islamic State fanatic, identified as Beran A, is said to have obtained a blue flashing light and siren that could have enabled him to drive up to the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna. The vehicle would be used to run over concert-goers before he emerged to attack them with knives and machetes and then trigger the bomb, potentially killing scores more, according to Austrian media.
The atrocity was allegedly planned for 4pm, when around 65,000 Swifties were due in the area, along with 30,000 who hadn’t secured tickets. The US star’s fans are renowned for gathering outside her concerts when they don’t have seats. Last week, 40,000 congregated on hills near the Munich Olympic Stadium in Germany.
Ms Swift’s three concerts – last night, today and tomorrow – in Vienna have now been cancelled. News of the plot has prompted scores of worried British fans to try to sell their tickets for five concerts at Wembley Stadium from August 15 to 20. Beran A, whose parents emigrated from North Macedonia to Austria, was arrested at his home in Ternitz, south of Vienna, on Wednesday following a tip-off from US intelligence services last month.
A 17-year-old was detained outside the concert venue later the same day. He is believed to have Austrian citizenship but has Turkish and Croatian roots. It .