VIENNA (AP) — Both suspects in a foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift shows in Vienna appeared to be inspired by the Islamic State group and al-Qaida, Austrian authorities said Thursday, and investigators found bomb-making materials at one of their homes. Officials said one of the two confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue.”
Three sold-out concerts were canceled a day earlier because of the plot, devastating Swifties from across the globe. Many of them had dropped thousands of euros (dollars) on travel and lodging in Austria’s expensive capital city to attend the Eras Tour shows at the Ernst Happel Stadium, which sat empty Thursday morning as media filmed outside.
Concert organizers said they stood behind their decision, saying they expected up to 65,000 fans inside the stadium at each concert and as many as 30,000 onlookers outside, where authorities said the suspects planned to strike.
Officials told reporters that the main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian, began working on his attack plans in July, and just a few weeks ago uploaded to the internet an oath of allegiance to the current leader of the Islamic State group. He planned to use knives or homemade explosives.
“He wanted to carry out an attack in the area outside the stadium, killing as many people as possible using the knives or even using the explosive devices he had made,” said Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, the head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, citing the 19-year-old's confession.
He was “clearly radicalized in the direction of the Islamic State and thinks it is right to kill infidels,” Haijawi-Pirchner added.
The 19-year-old quit his job on July 25 and made the statement “that he still had big plans.”
The foiled attack was planned for Thursday or Friday, according to Austria’s interior minister, Gerhard Karner.
Neither suspect appeared to have a ticket to any of the shows, he said.
During a raid of the main suspect's home in Ternitz, south of Vienna, investigators found chemical substances and technical devices that indicated “concrete preparatory acts,” said Franz Ruf, director general for public security at the Ministry of the Interior.
Authorities said they also found Islamic State group and al-Qaida material at the home of the second suspect, a 17-year-old Austrian. He was employed a few days ago by a company providing services at the venue for the concerts, and was arrested by special police forces near the stadium.
The 17-year-old, who has Turkish and Croatian roots and has so far refused to comment on the allegations, had broken up with his girlfriend recently, officials said, adding that both suspects had undergone clear social changes recently.
Both teens were arrested Tuesday. Neither's name was released in line with Austrian privacy rules.
Karner, the interior minister, said that Austria's intelligence service had worked closely together with foreign intelligence services to capture the two teens. He did not identify the services, but added that the help was needed because Austrian investigators, unlike some foreign services, can't legally monitor text messages.
No other suspects are being sought, though a 15-year-old who had been in contact with both suspects was also interrogated by police, Karner said.
“The situation is serious. But we can also say: A tragedy was prevented,” he said.
Concert organizer Barracuda Music said in an Instagram post late Wednesday that it had "no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.”
Barracuda said all tickets would be refunded. The same message was posted under the Vienna dates on Swift’s official website. Austrian rail operator OeBB in the meantime said that it would reimburse fans for train tickets that had been bought, but not yet used, to get to the concerts.
