By Mona Austin
(TSN): Three shows on the Austrian leg of Taylor Swift's Eras tour have been cancelled after a 19-year-old radicalized by Islamic state group al-Qaeda plotted a terror attack at an upcoming concert. The global Pop sensation is said to be safe but has not publicly commented on the situation.
U.S. authorities communicated with Austrian officials and they took swift action to avert what could have been a major tragedy at Ernst Happel Stadium where over 200,000 concert-goers were expected.
Materials to prepare for an attack were found by investigators in one of their homes. Officials said one of the two confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue.”
“Both suspects had become radicalized on the internet and had taken concrete preparatory actions for a terrorist attack,” according to a news release from the Austrian interior department.
“The cancellation of the Taylor Swift concerts by the organizers is a bitter disappointment for all fans in Austria,” Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said in a statement. “The situation surrounding the apparently planned terrorist attack in Vienna was very serious. Thanks to the intensive cooperation of our police and the newly established DSN with foreign services, the threat was recognized early, combated and a tragedy prevented. Many thanks to the emergency services who are currently investigating at full speed.”
He continued, “We live in a time in which violent means are being used to attack our Western way of life. Islamist terrorism threatens security and freedom in many Western countries. This is precisely why we will not give up our values such as freedom and democracy, but will defend them even more vehemently.”
Swift may have been targeted for her opinions on social and political issues shared on social media but a motive as yet to be released. The incident indicative of a trend reflecting the security vulnerabilities of public figures. But just last week in England three children died in a knife attack in Southport during a Swift-themed dance class. A 17-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the attack.