New details about the arrested jihadists: The older man left his job "because he had big plans", the minor broke up with his girlfriend
Austrian media are publishing new details about a family of migrants from North Macedonia living in Ternitz, whose 19-year-old son is a terrorist suspect who planned to take him to the concert of the popular American singer Taylor Swift. He left his job at a large company in Ternitz just a few weeks ago.
The family was not known in Ternitz itself, nor did the neighbors notice it for anything in the neighborhood.
"The family doesn't tell me anything at all. I didn't notice the 19 year old or any other family members. They probably moved here three years ago and lived in a private house with a terrace," said former mayor Rupert Dvorak when asked by NÖN. His successor, Christian Samwald, said something similar: "The family doesn't tell me anything."
Chemical substances found in the house
The house itself, where the 19-year-old lived with his parents and sister, also looks completely unremarkable from the outside: the facade appears to have been renovated, and work is currently being done on the foundation of the garden fence. Inside, however, investigators probably saw a completely different picture: chemical substances and technical equipment suitable for assembling a bomb were found.
The man from Ternitz apparently wanted to use this to cause bloodshed at one of the three planned Taylor Swift concerts at Happel Stadium. There is evidence that he wanted to target the crowd waiting outside the stadium with a car, weapons and explosives. There is also talk of accomplices who were allegedly smuggled through security. Therefore, all three concerts were canceled for security reasons.
The Kurier newspaper published a photo of terrorist suspect Beran A. (19) from Ternitz and a more detailed article entitled "Making bombs in the children's room: This is how the brain of terrorist Beran A. works", with statements from neighbors about how he grew up in Austria, and trampled on all western values.
For the neighbors, the family and the 19-year-old were unremarkable
The immediate neighbors also didn't really know the family, who moved here just a few years ago. "I never really noticed them, not even the 19-year-old," said the resident who lives just one house away. A press investigation by the NÖN team a day after the large-scale operation revealed no new findings.
"I don't know the family and I would never have noticed them," said a woman who lives in an apartment not far from the house.
By the way, the 19-year-old boy is from North Macedonia and according to APA, he has probably been in the focus of the law enforcement authorities for some time. A key indication that Swift's concerts could be the target of terrorist attack plans was apparently once again passed by a foreign partner service to the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSI). However, it is said that there are other suspects and therefore it is an "abstract threat situation", the investigation is said to be far from over.
Findings of the security services about the arrested
On Thursday afternoon, OVP Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, Director General of Public Security Franz Ruf and Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN) Director Omar Haijawi-Pirchner presented the latest results of the investigation at another press conference.
- The 19-year-old prime suspect from Ternitz and the 17-year-old accomplice from Vienna have changed socially in the last few weeks. The person arrested yesterday in Lower Austria resigned from his job on July 25 and said that he still has a lot of work to do. "The 17-year-old had broken up with his girlfriend shortly before," Franz Ruf added.
The initial suspicion of terrorism was confirmed during the search of Forstnerweg's house. In addition to knives and numerous chemical substances, investigators also found bomb-making devices. In addition, the arrested person had already assembled explosives for the planned attack. Some of them were destroyed on the spot for security reasons. Numerous data related to IS propaganda and bomb-making instructions were also seized from the accused's mobile phone.
According to DSN's Omar Hayawi-Pirchner, the 19-year-old wanted to carry out the attack at the Taylor Swift concert himself. He planned to kill as many people as possible outside the stadium with cutting and stabbing weapons, as well as explosives, and also kill himself in the process.
The suspect fully confessed to the crime
The 19-year-old was already questioned by the investigators and gave a comprehensive confession. His 17-year-old accomplice from Vienna, who was born in Austria and has Turkish-Croatian roots, has so far refused to testify.
"He was in the vicinity of the main perpetrator and was arrested yesterday in the area of the Ernst Happel Stadium," Hayawi-Pirchner said.
In addition, he was employed for several days by a company that offered services at the concerts at the stadium.
A 15-year-old from Vienna was also stopped last night. According to DSN, he confirmed the findings of the investigation. He also stated that the arrested 19-year-old had changed and kept asking about explosive devices.
No one else is currently being sought who may be involved in the planned terrorist attack. "The investigation showed that other people also knew about the attack," Hayavi-Pirchner confirmed further investigations.
