The lawyer representing the primary suspect in a thwarted attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna attempted to downplay the seriousness of the plot, stating that her client was merely "playing with ideas."
Austrian authorities recently uncovered a plan led by a 19-year-old suspect who allegedly intended to carry out an ISIS-inspired suicide attack at a soccer stadium where tens of thousands of fans were set to attend Swift's shows. As a result, Swift's three scheduled concerts this week were canceled.
Austrian investigators reported that the suspect had recently pledged allegiance to ISIS and confessed to the plot following a police raid on his home. Authorities seized chemicals, machetes, and other devices intended for use in the attack.
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The suspect's lawyer, Ina-Christin Stiglitz, explained that her client had only been involved with ISIS for the past month and suggested that he wasn't seriously planning an attack. She claimed that the youth was merely "playing with ideas" and believed the bomb he was preparing wasn't of sufficient quality to function properly. Stiglitz added that her client had researched bomb-making online.
In addition to the 19-year-old, Austrian police have detained three other teenagers in connection with the investigation, including a 17-year-old described by Stiglitz as her client's "best friend and neighbor." Neighbors in the small town of Ternitz, where the suspect lived, expressed shock at his arrest, describing him as reserved but friendly.
Some noticed a change in his appearance, notably growing a long beard, which his lawyer attributed to him wanting to "be cool."
Chancellor Karl Nehammer has called for increased powers for Austria's intelligence agencies to monitor communications on messaging apps to prevent extremist activities.
