2 arrested in ISIS plot to attack Taylor Swift concert in Austria

Two people have been arrested and three others are still at large in connection with a terrorist plot to attack Taylor Swift’s upcoming concerts in Austria, officials confirmed on Wednesday, forcing organizers to cancel the event.

The investigation began after Austria’s Army Intelligence Unit received a tip from a foreign military service. This information was passed on to law enforcement, which led to a group of ISIS supporters who were preparing for an attack.

The first suspect, a 19-year-old man, was arrested in the small town of Ternitz in Lower Austria. He was said to have been “radicalized on the internet” and pledged allegiance to ISIS. Chemical substances were found at his house.

A second suspect was arrested in Vienna, according to Franz Ruf, the Director General for Public Security. The Kurier newspaper, citing police sources, said the second suspect is 17 years old.

Police said the two had taken “concrete preparatory steps” to carry out an attack on a major event, with Taylor Swift’s upcoming concerts being studied in detail. Three other suspects are still at large, Kurier reported.

While officials said the acute threat to Taylor Swift’s concerts had been “minimized,” they recognized that there was still the presence of an “abstract threat.”

Initially, police said there would be an increased presence at the venue with assistance from the Cobra tactical police unit, but a few hours later organizers announced that all three concerts would be canceled.

“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 organizer said in a statement, adding that all tickets will be automatically refunded within 10 business days.

Swift was scheduled to hold 3 concerts in Vienna on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with each event having sold more than 65,000 tickets. Thousands more were expected outside the stadium.