The teenage boy suspected of plotting a terrorist attack at a Taylor Swift concert has been seen for the first time.
Taylor was set to play three dates of her world-famous Eras Tour in the Austrian capital of Vienna beginning on Thursday (August 8). However, the singer resorted to cancelling her dates after a plot to commit a mass terror attack was discovered by local police.
Following this, more information has been released of the two people arrested by officers, who were supposedly responsible for carrying out the attack. Now, one of the suspects has been seen for the first time after a photo of the man was released.
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A photo of the 19-year-old, currently known as Beran A, was revealed at a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vienna on Thursday. The teenager was seen brandishing two knives with the flag of the so-called Islamic State on his T-shirt.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
More details of how the attack would have been carried out have since been released, including the fact that the two main suspects in the plot were hired as part of security for the event. It was believed that one of the suspects would have driven into a crowd of the star’s fans outside the venue, before detonating a suicide vest.
Representatives from the government have said that the main suspect would have attached flashing blue police lights to his Volkswagen Beetle to disguise himself as a police officer before carrying out the attack. It was confirmed that Beran A was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday (August 7) in the village of Ternitz, with the second suspect detained just hours later.
(Image: APA/AFP via Getty Images)
Taylor, who has become one of the most popular stars on the planet, was set to perform for a total of 170,000 people over the course of the three tour dates. As a result, the dates have been shelved, with Taylor now making her way to London to perform five nights at Wembley Stadium.
The star, known for her hits including Shake It Off and You Need to Calm Down, has reportedly been “horrified” at the terror plot, in the wake of the Ariana Grande concert attack in Manchester in 2017. She also gave a promise to staff, as she became worried for her fans, who were “disappointed” at the sudden cancellation.
(Image: Getty Images)
In a post uploaded to tour manager Barracuda Music’s Instagram, the company said there was no other option but to cancel the shows. “With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety,” the statement read.
Similarly, a source close to Taylor told the Mirror that Swift was “devastated” for both herself and her fans. “But the thought of what could have happened if the concerts had been targeted by a terror attack is horrifying, and she would never risk the safety of her fans,” they added.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
