A third teenager has been taken into custody in connection with a thwarted plot to attack Taylor Swift’s canceled shows in Vienna, Austria.
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner announced on Thursday that an 18-year-old was arrested for allegedly communicating with the main suspect involved in the case, as reported by The Associated Press.
Although the latest suspect was not directly involved in planning the potential terror attack, he did pledge allegiance to ISIS.
The main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian citizen, along with a 17-year-old, were both apprehended on Tuesday. Authorities uncovered evidence linking both individuals to the Islamic State group. Bomb-making materials were found in the 19-year-old’s residence, and it was also revealed that the 17-year-old had secured a job at the venue, Ernst Happel Stadium, where Swift’s concerts were scheduled to take place in Austria.
Investigators are currently delving into the networks of the suspects and analyzing both physical and electronic evidence. A 15-year-old was also questioned but not arrested.
Due to Austrian privacy laws, the suspects have not been named publicly.
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Swift’s “Eras Tour” concerts scheduled for August 8, 9, and 10 in Vienna were called off after the police uncovered the 19-year-old’s sinister intentions, which included targeting the pop star’s performances. It was revealed that the suspect had been scheming the attacks since July and was prepared to use knives or homemade explosives.
The 19-year-old admitted to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue,” according to authorities. The 17-year-old has chosen not to respond to the allegations so far.
Initially set to proceed with heightened security measures, the sold-out Vienna shows were eventually canceled when Vienna police determined that there was still an “abstract danger” despite minimizing the immediate threat.
Despite the disappointment, fans gathered in Vienna on Thursday to exchange friendship bracelets and sing Swift’s music following the cancellations.
Swift is scheduled to perform in London next, with five tour dates lined up at Wembley Stadium starting on August 15.
RELATED STORY | Taylor Swift’s Austria concerts canceled after suspected terror plot was foiled
