Another victim dies: arrests in the vicinity of the perpetrator

Shots are fired in the middle of the Austrian capital, several dead and wounded. A terrorist is shot. It is not clear if he had accomplices.

According to the Austrian Interior Minister, another victim died after the terrorist attack in Vienna. A total of four bystanders were killed in the bloody act on Monday night: two men and two women, Interior Minister Karl Nehammer confirmed to the APA news agency on Tuesday morning. In addition, the police fired at the perpetrator. Several people were detained during house searches “in the vicinity of the perpetrator.”

The authorities also spoke of more than a dozen people, some of them seriously injured, including a police officer. From the authorities’ point of view, it is not yet clear whether one or more attackers were involved. They assume an Islamist motive.

The terrorist attack was caused by at least one Islamist terrorist. The killer was sympathetic to the IS terrorist militia, Nehammer said Tuesday morning. The man was armed with an assault rifle and also wore an explosives belt as a mannequin. Apparently he wanted to spread panic.

The suspect’s home was searched for incriminating material, he said. 1,000 officials are on duty in Vienna. “Currently we cannot rule out that there are other perpetrators,” Nehammer said. The relevant investigations were in full swing.

Heavily armed police officers walk past a police vehicle on Schwedenplatz: Several people were killed and injured in a terrorist attack in central Vienna on Monday night. (Source: Georg Hochmuth / APA / dpa)

Six crime scenes in the city center.

The attack had started around 8pm in Seitenstettengasse, where many people were on the move shortly before the new curfews began in Corona. There is also a synagogue there. A policeman was also shot here. According to the police, there were a total of six different crime scenes in the center of Vienna: Seitenstettengasse, Graben, meat market, farmers market, Salzgries and Morzinplatz.

People were shot “randomly at the people in the bars,” especially the people who were sitting outside. The police officer who was shot is in hospital, but his life is not in danger, police confirmed. An ORF correspondent reported that the alleged perpetrator who had been shot was lying in front of the Ruprechtskirche.

Four confirmed dead so far

At first there was talk of a dead passerby. During the night, a woman died of her injuries in a hospital, Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig told ORF.

Interior Minister Nehammer confirmed a third death Tuesday morning. The gunman was said to have been wearing an explosive belt, which turned out to be a mannequin. The man was armed with a long weapon, but also with a pistol and a machete. He was “very well prepared,” as Ludwig explained.

Initially, the motives of the perpetrators were unclear

Initially, there was no information on the motives of the perpetrators Tuesday night. In the early afternoon, it was feared that the Seitenstettengasse synagogue might have been the target of the attack after eyewitnesses reported shooting near the church.

In the evening, speculation about an Islamist background continued on social media. The newspaper “Bild” reported with a pixelated image that the main culprit was probably an IS supporter.

Possibly other perpetrators on the run

Even after midnight there was still nothing clear. The entire center of the Austrian capital was largely cordoned off. The city center of Vienna was declared a “red zone” which, according to international experience, is the most susceptible to new acts. The authorities appealed to citizens to stay home if possible. In addition to the police, soldiers were also deployed to protect the property. Interior Minister Nehammer renewed the appeal to the Viennese overnight: “Avoid the city center.” Students also wouldn’t have to go to school if they or their parents didn’t want to.

The Director General of Public Security, Franz Ruf, announced that controls at the Austrian borders will be increased. According to him, barricades should be erected in Vienna.

Videos and images circulate on the net

Various videos and images allegedly showing scenes from the attack also circulated online overnight. A video from a witness showed a person lying on the ground and a large pool of blood in front of a pub. Another video showed a masked rifleman firing at least two shots in the street.

Horror in Vienna: A video shows a man walking through the center of the city with a gun and shooting. (Source: screenshot)

Other images apparently showed the arrest of four people in the center of Vienna. The men kneel on the ground, shirtless and with their hands raised. It is not clear what this is all about.

Arrest: In Graben, one of the most famous streets in Vienna, the police overpowered four men. He first had to free his upper body, out of concern about possible explosive vests. (Source: Twitter / SVNewsAlters)

The police called the population back at night to avoid public places. “We are deployed with all possible forces. In addition, it was requested not to spread rumors on the Internet.” DO NOT post videos and photos on social networks, this endangers both the emergency services and the civilian population!

In the area around the crime scene, many guests stayed in restaurants late into the night and into the night and waited for the police signal to leave. The helicopters flew over the center of the city. Local public transport in the center of the capital has been completely disrupted.