Taylor Swift shows in Vienna canceled after 2 arrested for planning ISIS-inspired terror plot

Taylor Swift’s three live shows in Vienna this week have been canceled after two suspects had been arrested for allegedly plotting a terror assault, authorities stated.

“We now have no selection however to cancel the three scheduled reveals for everybody’s security,” a message from Barracuda Music stated. “All tickets will likely be routinely refunded.”

The cancellation comes hours after authorities introduced a 19-year-old Austrian citizen was arrested Wednesday morning and a second suspect was arrested within the afternoon.

The suspects allegedly radicalized themselves on-line, Franz Ruf, director-general for public security within the Ministry of the Inside, stated at a press convention. The 19-year-old suspect allegedly pledged allegiance to the chief of the Islamic State initially of July, Ruf stated.

Vienna was a goal of their deliberate assault and the 19-year-old suspect had a specific concentrate on Swift’s Vienna live performance, Ruf stated.

The pop star had live shows scheduled in Vienna this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Details about the risk to the tour dates originated with U.S. intelligence and was handed to the Austrians and Europol, a number of legislation enforcement and intelligence sources instructed ABC Information.

Although impressed by ISIS, the sources stated investigators don’t imagine the alleged plot was directed by ISIS operatives.

U.S. intelligence discovered at the very least one of many suspects pledged to ISIS-Okay on the messaging app, Telegram, in early July, the sources stated.

Investigators will not be satisfied that the alleged plot would have labored and so they have no idea if a functioning bomb was produced. Nonetheless, Viennese investigators did discover explosive precursor chemical substances which confirmed a level of motivation and planning, sources instructed ABC Information.

Earlier than the reveals had been canceled, Ruf stated safety on the live shows can be elevated. The reveals had been anticipated to attract 65,000 concertgoers per day, with a further 10,000 to fifteen,000 followers exterior of the world, police stated.

Swift kicked off the massively profitable “Eras Tour” in Glendale, Arizona, on March 18, 2023.

Investigators in Austria are taking a look at surveillance footage to find out whether or not a number of of the suspects had beforehand visited the live performance web site for reconnaissance or if they’d visited different potential targets.

As ABC Information has beforehand reported, legislation enforcement officers have been involved about mass gathering assaults because the lethal Moscow live performance corridor assault earlier this 12 months for which ISIS-Okay claimed credit score.

In October 2023, the pop star launched a live performance movie chronicling the record-breaking tour, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” that went on to interrupt data of its personal and earn a Golden Globe nomination.

On the one centesimal cease of the tour this summer time in Liverpool, England, the 14-time Grammy winner instructed the viewers the tour “has positively been probably the most exhausting, all-encompassing, however most joyful, most rewarding, most fantastic factor that has ever occurred in my life to date.”

The Eras Tour will finish in Vancouver, Canada, on Dec. 8.

ABC Information’ Carson Blackwelder contributed to this report.