Radicalization and Weapon Purchase: New Details About the Villach Attacker Revealed

Following the terrorist attack in Villach, where on Saturday a 23-year-old Syrian killed a 14-year-old and seriously injured five people, the public prosecutor's office has requested pre-trial detention for the perpetrator.

After Terrorist Attack in Villach: Pre-Trial Detention Requested for 23-Year-Old

The man will be transferred from Villach to the Klagenfurt prison at noon, according to the authorities upon APA request. Three seriously injured individuals are still being treated in the intensive care unit, and their condition is stable, reported the hospital operator Kabeg.

On Saturday afternoon, the 23-year-old randomly stabbed passersby with a knife in downtown Villach. A courageous food delivery driver - who, like the perpetrator, is also from Syria - hit the perpetrator with his car, causing him to drop the knife and be apprehended. "I didn't have time to think, I saw he had a knife and knew what was happening," the 42-year-old told the media. However, his intervention was misunderstood in the first few seconds - passersby believed he was also an attacker and hit his car.

Knife Purchased Three Days Before Attack

Meanwhile, more and more details are coming to light. The 23-year-old apparently radicalized over the internet within a few weeks. In his apartment, he had IS flags on the wall. The weapon, a folding knife with a ten-centimeter blade, was purchased just three days before the attack, reported the "Salzburger Nachrichten".

Investigators reiterated on Monday that the suspect had not previously been criminally charged in Austria or Germany and was therefore not known to the police. However, in 2024, he served a substitute prison sentence of four days in Germany - where he reportedly has family ties according to the Ministry of the Interior. The reason was an unpaid fine imposed under administrative law following a forgery of documents in 2021. Administrative penalties do not lead to a police record.

The 23-year-old came to Austria in 2020. He justified his asylum application with fear that he would be conscripted into the military in his Syrian homeland and then have to commit war crimes, APA learned.

Considerations for a Citizen's Militia

On Sunday, hundreds of people lit candles and mourned at Villach's main square. Meanwhile, emotions were running high. The "Kleine Zeitung" reports on considerations that a citizen's militia might be established in Villach. The police are not in favor of this idea: "We rely on the cooperation of the public and welcome any positive form of collaboration. However, a citizen's militia would be counterproductive, as security is ensured by the police," said police spokesman Rainer Dionisio. They do not support the establishment of a citizen's militia "in any way."

Memorial Rally in Klagenfurt

Meanwhile, a memorial rally is planned for Monday evening at the Neuer Platz in Klagenfurt. "Let's all send a signal together to the Draustadt! We must never let such criminals take away our solidarity. For our open society and against radical Islamic terror," wrote the initiator, Deputy Mayor Ronald Rabitsch (SPÖ), on Facebook.

Carnival Recording to Proceed as Planned

Despite the terrorist attack, the television recordings of the sessions of the Villach Carnival Guild will proceed as planned this week. As the media spokesperson for the guild, Christoph Pfeiler, stated in response to an APA inquiry, no decision had been made on Monday about whether the large parade on Carnival Saturday would take place.

The ORF television production will be carried out as planned during the three sessions from Thursday to Saturday. However, the accompanying receptions and dance events have been canceled. The decision was made by the board of the Carnival Guild together with the city and ORF. "There are commitments and already fixed plans for the sessions to be recorded," said Pfeiler. The Congress Center, where the sessions take place, is in direct view of the crime scene.

Politicians from the city and the region have already decided that they will not attend the sessions. Otherwise, there have been no cancellations, according to the Carnival Guild: "On the contrary, there are rather inquiries about whether the sessions will actually take place as planned." Some have already planned their travel from all over Austria. The decision was not made lightly, and: The Carnival Guild fundamentally believes that "such attackers should not be given the satisfaction of seeing city life completely collapse," said Pfeiler.

Parade on Carnival Saturday Uncertain

No decision was made on Monday about whether the large parade on Carnival Saturday will take place. If it does, an alternative route might be chosen - because the "traditional" route would pass directly by the spot where the 14-year-old youth died. Perhaps, according to Carnival Chancellor Karl Glanznig to ORF, the carnival festivities could be channeled through an organized parade, because: "The people of Villach will not let the carnival be banned."

(APA/Red)

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