Suspect in Plot to Bomb Taylor Swift’s Vienna Concert Charged in Germany
The charges against a Syrian-born national follow three arrests over the harrowing near-incident.
German prosecutors have charged a Syrian-born teenager with helping plot the foiled terrorist attack at Taylor Swift’s planned Eras Tour stop in Vienna last year.
Germany’s Federal Public Prosecutor general announced Friday (June 27) that a juvenile identified only as “Mohammed A.” has been indicted on charges of supporting a foreign terrorist organization and attempting a serious act of violence against the state. The suspect is not in custody.
Prosecutors say Mohammed A., a Syrian national who lived in Germany, was a follower of the Islamic State (IS) and helped an Austrian teenager make plans to bomb Swift’s Eras Tour concerts in Vienna in August 2024. The planned shows at Ernst Happel Stadium were canceled after authorities discovered and foiled the alleged terrorist plot.
Mohammed A. was allegedly in contact with the main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian man, in July and August 2024. Prosecutors say Mohammed A. translated bomb-making instructions, sent the main suspect the IS oath of allegiance and helped him establish contact with another member of the terrorist group.
The main 19-year-old Austrian suspect was arrested ahead of the planned Eras Tour show on Aug. 7 alongside an alleged 17-year-old accomplice. Another 18-year-old suspect was detained by Austrian authorities two days later.
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Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour continued after the canceled Vienna shows, albeit with extra attention to security.
The pop superstar’s reps did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday. Swift addressed the foiled terrorist attack in a lengthy Instagram post after the Eras Tour’s European leg wrapped last year, saying it “filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”
“But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,” Swift wrote. “I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together.”
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