Teenager Charged in 2024 Plot to Attack Taylor Swift Concert in Vienna

A Syrian teenager residing in Germany has been charged with assisting in planning an attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna last summer, which led to the cancellation of three shows and disappointed countless fans. Prosecutors allege that the teenager, identified only as Mohammad A., helped interpret Arabic instructions for bomb-making and translated an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State terrorist group for the main suspect in the plot. Investigations reveal that the main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian of Macedonian descent, was found with machetes, knives, timers, chemicals for explosives, counterfeit money, and Islamic State propaganda during a raid on his home in Ternitz, south of Vienna.

The authorities believe the teenager in Germany became radicalized online and facilitated contact between the main suspect and an Islamic State associate via social media. The German teen is a minor and is not in custody. The Vienna prosecutor’s office confirmed that the main suspect is currently detained, and authorities continue their investigation. The thwarted attack caused significant economic and emotional impact, as Taylor Swift’s concerts are known to boost local economies. Austrian officials are continuing to track the networks involved in this terrorist plot.