Vienna attacker was Islamist who was released early from prison
At least one Islamic extremist rampaged through a crowded Vienna nightlife district hours ahead of a coronavirus lockdown, leaving four people dead before he was killed by police, Austrian authorities have confirmed.
The suspect in Monday night's attack – a 20 -year-old armed with an automatic rifle and a fake explosive vest – was identified as a young Austrian-nor th Macedonian dual citizen with a previous terror conviction for attempting to join the so-called Islamic State group in Syria.
Unverified video showed the suspect, dressed in white coveralls, firing off bursts apparently at random as her an down the Austrian capital's cobbled streets.
Police searched 18 properties as well as the suspect' s apartment, detaining 14 peo - ple associated with the assailant who are being questioned, interior minister Karl Nehammer said.
Two men and two women died from their injuries in the attack, including one German woman, according to Germany's foreign minister.
Authorities said a police officer who tried to get in the way of the attacker was shot and wounded, along with 21 other people.
Vienna' s hospital service said seven people were in lifethreatening condition after the attack, APA reported.
“Yesterday's attack was clearly an Islamist terror attack,” Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said.
"It was an attack out of hatred – hatred for our fundamental values, hatred for our way of life, hatred for our democracy in which all people have equal rights and dignity.”
The attacker, identified as KujtimFejzulai,w ass entenced to 22 months in prison in April 2019 because he had tried to travel to Syria to join IS. He was granted early release in December under juvenile law.
IS yesterday claimed credit for the attack, calling the perpetrator a “soldier of the Caliphate”.
The claim of responsibility was published through the militant group's media arm, Aamaq. It did not elaborate on the attacker's ties to IS and had similar wording to past, opp or tunistic claims by the group.
Mr Nehammer said that Fejzulai had posted a photo on his Instagram account before the attack that showed him with two of the weapons he apparently used.
“[The suspect] was equipped with a fake explosive vest and an automatic rifle, a handgun and a machete to carry out this repugnant attack on innocent citizens,” Mr Nehammer said.
He added that the evidence gathered so far shows no indication that there was a sec - ond assailant involved in the attack.
The shooting began shortly after 8pm near Vienna's main synagogue as many people were enjoying a last night of open restaurant sandbars before a month-long coronavirus lockdown, which started at midnight. Vienna police chief Gerhard Puerstl said the attacker was killed at 8.09pm.
“We will unearth and chase down the perpetrators, those behind them and like -minded people and give them the punishment they deserve ,” Mr Kurz said .“We will pursue all those who have anything to do with this outrage by all available means.”