Austrian police have made several arrests at the address of a suspected Islamic State sympathizer who shot dead at least four people in Vienna on Monday night.
Two
men and two women died of their injuries in the attack in the center of the
Austrian capital, hours before the Coronavirus lockdown began.
The
Vienna Hospital Service said seven people were in critical condition. In all,
17 people were treated in hospitals, with gunshot wounds but also’ amputated.
A
suspected bomber, who was carrying an assault rifle and a fake suicide vest,
was also shot’ dead by police.
"We
were attacked by at least one Islamist terrorist last night," Interior
Minister Karl Nehammer told reporters. Nehammer said a preliminary investigation showed the suspect
had sympathized with ISIS. Authorities are still trying to determine if more
attackers could escape, he added.
Several
arrests were made’ after raids on addresses linked to the alleged attacker, the
Interior Ministry said Tuesday morning. Police used explosives to enter his
flat.
The
shooting began at 8 pm on Monday near Vienna's main synagogue, as many people
were enjoying the last night of open restaurants and bars before the month-long
Coronavirus lockdown, which ended at midnight. It started at night.
Vienna
Police Chief Gerhard Prestel said the attacker was killed’ at 8.09 pm. Among
the injured was a 28-year-old police officer. He is in the hospital but not in
critical condition.
Police
were using more than 20,000 videos provided to the authorities by members of
the public to find out the true nature of the incidents. He urged people to
oppose posting video footage on social media.
Hundreds
of people were reportedly still taking refuge in cafes and bars, as well as in
Austria's National Theater, the Berg Theater, as the city center remained
closed, while 1,000 police officers patrolled the streets. Concert attendants
were escorted’ out of the opera house under police protection. Venezuelans were
urged’ to stay home, and when schools opened outside the city center on
Tuesday, parents were urged’ to keep their children at home if possible.
Austrian
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said Vienna had been the target of "heinous
terrorist attacks" carried out by "highly professional
criminals". "We will never allow ourselves to become aware of
terrorism and will resolutely fight these attacks in every possible way,"
he said.
Initially,
police said the shootings took place at six locations in Vienna's First
District, near the Danube Canal, and alerted a group of "heavy weapons and
dangerous" gunmen. But as of Tuesday morning, police were not sure how
many were involved.
Border
checks have been increased’ in neighboring countries.
Vienna's the director-general of public security, Franz Rove, said authorities worked
overnight to identify the attacker, who was shot’ dead outside St. Rupert's Church,
whose body was found’ to contain fake explosives. It was stuffed’ with vests
and ammunition.
Authorities
will not release details of the suspect who died for fear of jeopardizing the
ongoing investigation, and video footage of the incidents will help police
determine the correct sequence of events, Ruf said. "20,000 videos were
uploaded and given to us, and we've already found 20% of that content," he
said.
Asked
if the shooting was carried’ out by Islamist extremists or through
anti-Semitism, Ruf said: "It is clear that he was a radical. Can't say
because we're still investigating. "
Nehammer
confirmed that authorities consider the shooting a terrorist attack.
"Austria is a democracy, built on freedom of speech and tolerance of
coexistence," he said. "Yesterday's attack is an attack on these
values and an insufficient attempt to divide us. We will not stand for it.
The results will be’ found.
The
attack began just hours before the new Coronavirus was introduced’ from
Austria, including a curfew from midnight to 6 pm, and bars and restaurants in
the narrow street network is known, as the "Bermuda Triangle" Was full
An
eyewitness said the gunman opened fire on groups of people sitting at tables.
"They
were shooting at least 100 rounds just outside our building. They told
reporters they saw through their window above Vienna's main synagogue, at least
one person," said Rabbi Schlomo Hofmeister. Shooting people sitting on the
street outside.
"There
are tables outside all these bars. This evening is the last evening before the
lockdown. "By midnight, all bars and restaurants in Austria will be closed
for the next month, and a lot of people probably wanted to use this evening to
go out."
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