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Taylor Swift terror plotters intended to kill 'ten of thousands' with homemade explosions in ISIS-inspired massacre
Islamic State-inspired terror suspects planned to kill tens of thousands of fans at Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna by using homemade explosives, officials revealed.
The CIA alerted Austrian authorities about the devastating plot, which led to the arrest three suspects and the cancellation of three sold-out Eras Tour shows.
The agency's deputy director, David Cohen, addressed the foiled plan at the annual Intelligence and National Security Summit in Maryland.
'They were plotting to kill a huge number — tens of thousands of people at this concert, including I am sure many Americans — and were quite advanced in this,' Cohen said Wednesday.
'The Austrians were able to make those arrests because the agency and our partners in the intelligence community provided them information about what this ISIS-connected group was planning to do.'
The Islamic State-inspired terror suspects planned to kill tens of thousands of people at Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna using homemade explosives, the CIA has revealed
'They were plotting to kill a huge number — tens of thousands of people at this concert,' CIA deputy director David Cohen
The main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian man inspired by the Islamic State, planned to attack the stadium with knives and homemade chemical explosives, which investigators found at his home.
Over 95,000 fans were expected to attend the concert. Investigators found chemicals and explosives at his home.
Austria's interior minister, Gerhard Karner, said help from outside intelligence agencies were required as Austrian investigators are not legally allowed to monitor text messages.
The 19-year-old suspect's lawyer characterized the allegations as 'overacting at its best' and argued that Austrian authorities were intentionally overstating the situation to justify the acquisition of new surveillance powers.
Swift addressed the recent cancellations of her Vienna concerts for the first time last week, following the conclusion of her London shows.
'Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating,' she wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. 'The reason for the cancellations 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.'
She thanked authorities — 'thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives,' she wrote — and said she waited to speak until the European leg of her Eras Tour concluded to prioritize safety.
Concert organizer Barracuda Music announced the cancellation of the three-night Vienna concert series, scheduled to begin on August 8, citing the arrests made in connection with a related conspiracy as too close to the event date.
The primary suspect and a 17-year-old were apprehended on August 6, the day before the cancellations were announced.
An additional suspect, aged 18, was arrested on August 8. In accordance with Austrian privacy regulations, their names have not been publicly disclosed.
The London shows, the next stop on Swift's tour following Vienna, occurred shortly after a tragic stabbing incident at a Swift-themed dance class in the UK, resulting in the deaths of three young girls.
'Swifties' gather in Vienna at the Corneliusgasse, after the government confirmed a planned attack at the venue and the cancellations of Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna
In a statement released after the Southport attack, Swift expressed her profound shock and loss, conveying her condolences to the affected families.
News reports indicated that Swift met with some of the survivors backstage during her London performances.
Cohen commended the CIA's efforts in preventing the planned violence, highlighting that other successful counterterrorism operations often go unrecognized.
He expressed pride in his agency's work and mentioned that many employees, including those who are Taylor Swift fans, considered the day a significant victory for the CIA.
The record-breaking tour is currently on pause until the fall.
Swift's next show is on November 14 in Toronto, Canada.