Taylor Swift terror suspect pictured for first time posing with knives and ISIS flag
Austrian authorities arrested two suspected extremists, one of whom appeared to be planning an attack on the event in the Vienna area
A teen accused of plotting an ISIS terror attack at a Taylor Swift gig has been snapped for the first time.
The photo of the 19 year-old, known only as Beran A, was shown at a press conference in Vienna's Foreign Ministry today - the photo shows the suspect brandishing two large knives and sporting an ISIS flag badge on his tee. The young man was one of two suspected extremists nicked by cops, with one allegedly scheming to target the pop star's concert in the Vienna region.
Beran A was cuffed in Ternitz, just south of Vienna, while his accomplice was nabbed in the Austrian capital itself. The 19 year old was taken into custody in the early hours of Wednesday, with the second arrest happening later that day in Vienna.
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Taylor Swift, who had planned to thrill 170,000 fans over three nights in Vienna, had her shows axed by Barracuda Music. She was all set to take the stage at Ernst Happel Stadium from Thursday to Saturday, with her next gigs lined up at London's Wembley Stadium from Thursday, August 15 to Tuesday, August 20.
The 34 year-old songstress is reportedly "horrified" by the close call with terror, especially after Ariana Grande's tragic Manchester concert. Swift has made a vow to her crew, mindful of her "disappointed" followers.
Barracuda Music took to Instagram late on Wednesday to announce the cancellation of the shows, stating: "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."
An insider revealed to The Mirror: "Taylor has been devastated by this. She is devastated for the fans who have been waiting for years to see her. 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.
"The memory of what happened at Ariana Grande's concert in Manchester is still very vivid in everyone's minds. But she has told her team that she wants to try to return to Vienna as soon as possible in the future. She is very conscious of how disappointed her fans in Austria are."
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