Wise? – Swift terrorist to be assessed by psychiatrist

As announced by the spokeswoman of the Vienna Public Prosecutor’s Office, Judith Ziska, on Thursday, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has appointed a psychiatric expert. A risk prediction is also being made.

IS sympathizer
The 19-year-old, who was registered with his parents in Ternitz (Neunkirchen district), is suspected of planning a suicide attack on the second of three planned Taylor Swift concerts on August 9 in the name of the radical Islamic terrorist militia IS, which he initially confessed to after his arrest.

He has now changed his responsibilities. Law enforcement authorities assume that he wanted to kill as many “Swifties”, as the pop icon’s fans are called, who had gathered in front of the stadium, either with a homemade explosive or with cutting and stabbing weapons in his possession.

Explosive discoveries during a house search
During a search of the home of the 19-year-old arrested on August 7, in addition to chemicals and a liquid containing TATP, several electronic ignition devices, a twelve-channel transmitter, an igniter, a 60-centimeter-long metal pipe, a 30-centimeter-long combat knife, a 46-centimeter-long machete and a butterfly knife were seized.

Pre-trial detention until September 23
The Public Prosecution Service is currently investigating the 19-year-old for terrorist organization, criminal organization and violations of the weapons law, emphasizes authority spokeswoman Ziska. Due to the urgent suspicion in this regard, the suspect is being held in judicial custody until September 23.

In early July, the 19-year-old shared a photo on his Instagram account in which he took an oath of allegiance – a so-called Baya – to the current leader of IS in German and Arabic. He posed with two knives in the style of the Viennese attacker who killed four people in the city center on November 2, 2020 before being shot by police.

19-year-old had plans to build bombs
The 19-year-old then allegedly obtained plans for building a bomb and obtained chemicals that could be used to produce explosive triacetone triperoxide (TATP). On July 29, he attempted to order a hand grenade, a Zastava M70, based on the technology of the Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle, and a pistol from the US via the Telegram courier service, but his attempt failed.

Suspect flagged Swift concert on cell phone
It has also now been established that the 19-year-old marked August 9 – the date of the second Taylor Swift concert – in a calendar entry on his mobile phone and repeatedly Googled the pop singer’s Vienna concerts. Another calendar entry was saved for August 6 and read “Refrigerator”. During a house search the following day, investigators from the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN) found a glass bottle containing a colourless liquid in the 19-year-old’s kitchen refrigerator. A wet chemical preliminary test for TATP was positive.

To what extent the chemicals and explosives purchased by the 19-year-old would have been suitable for carrying out a terrorist attack “will be clarified by the DSN as part of the investigation,” according to the spokeswoman for the Public Prosecution Service. An “initial assessment” is currently taking place.

The final assessment is pending
The final verdict will likely depend on whether the prosecution’s investigation will be expanded to include terrorist offenses involving attempted murder, taking into account the fact that the 19-year-old was already carrying weapons including his two knives and a machete, which an ISIS supporter recently used to kill several people in Solingen, Germany.