Third person arrested in foiled plot to hold Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna

VIENNA (AP) — A third teenager has been arrested in connection with a foiled attack on Taylor Swift’s canceled concerts in Vienna, Austria’s interior minister said Friday.

Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said the 18-year-old was detained Thursday evening in Vienna after allegedly having contact with the prime suspect. Karner announced the arrest at an unrelated news conference Friday.

Investigators are looking into the suspects’ “networks,” the Austrian Interior Ministry told The Associated Press on Friday, adding in a statement that investigators were turning to assessing physical and electronic evidence.

The main suspect, 19, and a 17-year-old were arrested Tuesday, while a 15-year-old was also questioned but not arrested. Officers said Thursday afternoon that no suspects were wanted. They did not immediately provide further details Friday.

Authorities say the plot was apparently inspired by the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Investigators found bomb-making materials in the homes of one of the suspects. Officials say one suspect confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue.”

Authorities say the main suspect and the 18-year-old arrested on Friday have pledged “allegiance” to the Islamic State.

“He had contact with the main perpetrator, but he is not directly connected to the attack plans,” Karner said. “But, as it turned out a few days ago, he pledged allegiance specifically to IS on August 6.”

Karner said the 18-year-old “comes from the social background” of the prime suspect.

Three sold-out shows were canceled Wednesday due to the conspiracy, devastating Swifties around the world. Many of them spent thousands of euros (dollars) on travel and accommodations in the pricey Austrian capital to attend the Eras Tour shows at Ernst Happel Stadium, which was empty Thursday morning.

Europe is fascinated by the American superstar: the German city of Gelsenkirchen changed its name to “Swiftkirchen” ahead of the concerts in mid-July.

Concert organizers in Austria said they expected up to 65,000 fans inside the stadium for each concert and up to 30,000 spectators outside, where the suspects planned the attack. The foiled attack was planned for Thursday or Friday, according to Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer defended the decision to cancel the concerts, saying the arrests of the suspects came too close to concerts scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

“I understand very well that those who wanted to experience a live concert are very sad,” Nehammer said at a press conference on Thursday. “Mothers and fathers are taking care of their daughters and sons, who were full of enthusiasm and anticipation for this concert. But it is also important that in such serious moments as now, safety inevitably comes first.”

Swift also scheduled five shows at London’s Wembley Stadium between August 15 and 20, wrapping up the European leg of her record-breaking Eras Tour.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he understood Vienna’s reasons for canceling the concert, but “we will continue.” Khan said the capital was prepared for concerts in the city after learning from the 2017 attack on an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, that killed 22 people.

A suicide bomber set off a backpack with explosives at Manchester Arena. The bomb exploded at the end of Grande’s concert as thousands of young fans were leaving.

Last month, a gunman in England killed three girls and injured 10 people in a stabbing attack during a Taylor Swift-style dance and yoga class. Swift said at the time that she was “completely shocked” by the violence.

In Austria, the prime suspect admitted that he began planning the attack in July, authorities said. The 19-year-old posted an oath of allegiance to the current leader of the Islamic State group online just a few weeks ago.

“He has clearly been radicalized towards the Islamic State and believes that killing infidels is right,” said Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of the State Security and Intelligence Directorate.

Haijawi-Pirchner added that the suspect “wanted to carry out an attack in the area outside the stadium, killing as many people as possible using knives and even using explosive devices that he made himself.”

During a search of the suspect’s home in Ternitz, south of Vienna, investigators found chemical substances and technical devices that indicated “concrete preparatory measures,” said Franz Ruf, director general for public security at the Ministry of Interior.

Authorities said they also found Islamic State and al-Qaeda materials at the home of the second suspect, who is 17. The suspect, who has declined to talk, was hired several days ago by a company that provides unspecified services at the concert venue.

Both teens were arrested Tuesday. Neither of their names has been released, in line with Austrian privacy laws.

The suspects have undergone significant social changes recently, authorities said. One 19-year-old quit his job but said he “still has big plans,” while the other broke up with his girlfriend. Neither suspect appeared to have tickets to either show, Haijawi-Pirchner said.

Karner said the Austrian intelligence service worked closely with foreign intelligence services to catch the two teenagers. He did not name the agencies but said the help was needed because Austrian investigators, unlike some foreign services, cannot legally monitor text messages.

The CIA declined to say Thursday whether U.S. intelligence agencies played any role in the investigation. The U.S. State Department and the broader U.S. government have been in contact with Austrian officials about the alleged plot, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

No other suspects are being sought, Karner said, although a 15-year-old who had contact with both suspects was also questioned by police.

“The situation is serious. But we can also say: a tragedy has been prevented,” he said.

Concert promoter Barracuda Music said in an Instagram post late Wednesday that he had “no choice but to cancel three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.”

Barracuda said all tickets would be refunded. The same message was posted below the Vienna dates on Swift’s official website. Austrian rail operator OeBB, meanwhile, said it would refund fans unused train tickets for the shows.

Swift has not publicly commented on the storyline or the canceled shows. “Taylor Nation,” a verified Instagram page widely believed to be run by her team, reposted the Barracuda Music announcement on a “story” that is only visible for 24 hours. Her main account has not posted anything.

Swift’s biggest fear has always been that her concerts would become so violent, the superstar told Elle magazine in 2019 ahead of her Lover Tour, which was ultimately canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The attack at Grande’s concert, as well as the 2017 mass shooting at an outdoor country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip that killed 58 people, worried Swift as she prepared to circle the globe.

“I was absolutely terrified to do (the Lover Tour) this time because I didn’t know how we were going to keep 3 million fans safe for seven months,” she told the magazine. “There was a ton of planning, expense and effort put into keeping my fans safe.”

An official 2023 inquiry found that the British intelligence agency MI5 failed to act quickly enough on key information and wasted a significant opportunity to prevent the Manchester bombing, the deadliest extremist attack in Britain in recent years.

Terrorism expert Magnus Ranstorp of the Swedish Defense University in Stockholm told The Associated Press by phone that any mass public event these days poses a potential threat.

“Therefore, it should come as no surprise that these hugely popular, iconic pop stars who attract huge audiences will also attract terrorists who want to spread fear, destruction and mayhem,” he said.