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According to Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (ÖVP), “at least” one Islamist terrorist is responsible for the attack in Vienna. The 20-year-old is undoubtedly a supporter of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia, the minister told ORF in the morning. He too Süddeutsche Zeitung the identity of the alleged murderer is known.
After the interior minister reported on the situation early in the morning, Nehammer now shared more details about the alleged killer. He was sentenced on April 25, 2019, to 22 months in prison for trying to join the Islamic State. On December 5, he was prematurely paroled because, as a young adult, he fell under the privileges of the Juvenile Court Act (JGG).
According to Nehammer, the alleged killer was armed with an assault rifle and was shot and killed by police officers near St. Rupert’s Church shortly after 8pm on Tuesday night. An alleged explosives belt turned out to be a mannequin, as the interior minister said in the morning.
The dpa news agency had previously reported, citing the Austrian news agency APA, that the 20-year-old had an Austrian and a North Macedonian passport. The editor-in-chief of the Austrian weekly Falter, Florian Klenk, reported that the alleged perpetrator was born and raised in Vienna. It had Albanian roots. His parents came from North Macedonia
He couldn’t rule out multiple perpetrators, Nehammer said. During the house searches “in the vicinity of the perpetrator”, several people were arrested, according to the Austrian news agency APA of the Interior Ministry. Specifically, it is said that 15 house searches were carried out and several people were arrested. Home inspections were also carried out in St. Pölten.
According to the President of the Vienna Police, Gerhard Pürstl, the murderer was fatally wounded at 20:09. Franz Ruf, general director of public security, said the attacker’s apartment had been opened with explosives. A total of seven emergency services made use of their firearms. Germany has offered support from the emergency services, to be used if necessary.
According to the information, there were three civilians killed in the night, two men and one woman. In the morning, the Interior Minister announced to the Austrian news agency APA that another woman had died. This means that a total of four people were killed by the attackers in the bloody act on Monday night.
There were also several injured. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz spoke of 14 injured in the morning. “Some of them are still fighting for their lives.” They also shot an “executive officer” who opposed the attackers. The ORF reports that the two murdered men were found at the meat market and Schwedenplatz. Apparently a waitress died while working at Ruprechtsplatz.
Interior Minister Nehammer spoke of a “situation that we have not seen in Austria for decades.” The attack is an “attack on our values and a completely inappropriate attempt to weaken or even break our democratic society. We are in no way going to tolerate that from anyone,” Nehammer continued.
Three days of national mourning in Austria
Austria honors the victims of the terrorist act with three days of national mourning. The Special Council of Ministers decided on Tuesday in Vienna. It is valid until Thursday inclusive. The events have deeply shocked and affected the country.
The attack was an “heinous act” and “an attack on the freedom and democracy of the Republic of Austria,” Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said. On Tuesday, the first day of state mourning, a “minute of silent remembrance” will be observed at 12 noon. Schools are also required to observe a minute of silence at the beginning of Wednesday lessons.
Overnight, Nehammer appealed to citizens of the capital to stay home on Tuesday or at least avoid the city center.
In consultation with other authorities, it was agreed to suspend compulsory schooling on that day; parents should keep their children at home if possible. “The day is considered excused.”
Six crime scenes in the center of Vienna
According to the police, there were a total of six crime scenes in the center of Vienna, all in the vicinity of Seitenstettengasse. The other crime scenes were evidently in the meat market, in Morzinplatz, in the farmers market, in Salzgries and in Graben.
Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) said that during the attack “people in bars” were shot “indiscriminately”, especially those sitting outside. Shortly before closing, which should begin in Austria on Tuesday evening, the city center was unusually crowded. Videos broadcast by private broadcaster Oe24 Monday night showed a masked shooter shooting in the street. Another video showed a large pool of blood outside a restaurant.
Prime Minister Kurz did not rule out anti-Semitic records due to the crime scene near a synagogue overnight. (Read reactions to the attack in central Vienna here.) Authorities initially did not confirm suspicions that the attack was aimed at Vienna’s main synagogue, which is located on Seitenstettengasse.
The president of the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien (IKG) and the highest representative of the Jews in Austria, Oskar Deutsch, wrote on Twitter that the Seitenstettengasse synagogue “was no longer in operation and was closed at the time of the first shots.” the SZ German said late Monday night that shots had been fired in several places near the community. “Apparently, the perpetrators shot, among other things, in a bar and a restaurant.” As a precautionary measure, “all synagogues, Jewish schools and IKG institutions, kosher restaurants and supermarkets” were closed on Tuesday.
