Teen charged in foiled terror attack at Taylor Swift's canceled Vienna shows
A Syrian teenager has been charged in Germany in connection to the foiled terror attack at Taylor Swift's Vienna shows during the Eras Tour.
German prosecutors identified Mohammad A. as a suspect in a press release shared Friday, alleging that the teenager assisted another suspect with instructions on how to build bombs.
"Mohammad A. adhered to the ideology of the terrorist organization 'Islamic State' (IS) at least since April 2024," the prosecutor general alleged in a statement translated from German. "Between mid-July and August 2024, he was in contact with a young adult from Austria who was planning a bomb attack on a concert by singer Taylor Swift in Vienna."
The teenager is also accused of "establishing contact with an IS member abroad via the internet" and providing the main suspect with "a template for the oath of allegiance to IS, which the young adult used to join the organization."
A representative for Swift didn't immediately respond to Entertainment Weekly's request for comment.
The pop star had been scheduled to perform three shows at the Austrian capital between Aug. 8 and Aug. 10 of last year. Concert promoter Barracuda Music canceled the shows the day before the shows were slated to kick off, citing "confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack" at the venue, Ernst Happel Stadium, and announcing that all tickets would be refunded.
Authorities at the time said they arrested two unidentified suspects in Vienna, including a 19-year-old. The C.I.A. also said the suspects "were plotting to kill a huge number, tens of thousands of people at this concert," per The New York Times.
A 17-year-old who was previously arrested as a possible accomplice has since been released without charges.
Swift addressed the terror plot after she wrapped the European leg of the tour in late August, calling the cancellations "devastating."
"The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows," she said on Instagram at the time. "But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives."
Swift also said she was "heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together," referencing the fans in Vienna who gathered in the streets to exchange friendship bracelets and sing along to her songs. The singer-songwriter also explained that she did not immediately address the situation out of concern for the safety of fans.
"I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows," Swift said. "In cases like this one, 'silence' is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it's right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that."
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Faith Barnett
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