Man gets 15 years for Taylor Swift concert attack plot
What's the story
A 21-year-old Austrian man, identified as Beran A, has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars for planning a terrorist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna. The incident occurred during the singer's Eras tour in August 2024. The man was found guilty of several terrorism-related offenses and was arrested after the CIA tipped off authorities just before the first of three sold-out concerts at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium.
Attack foiled
How Swift found out about the bomb threat
Swift had previously spoken about how her record-breaking Eras Tour had "dodged a massacre situation." The tour documentary, The End of an Era, revealed that she learned about the bomb plot while traveling to Austria. Following the arrest, all three shows were canceled, disappointing nearly 2,00,000 fans and Swift herself.
Radicalization details
The attacker attempted to buy weapons illegally
Prosecutors revealed that A had become radicalized and pledged allegiance to the jihadist group Islamic State (IS). He reportedly attempted to buy weapons illegally, including a hand grenade and a machine gun, but was unsuccessful. Court psychiatrist Peter Hoffmann stated that A showed no signs of mental illness and there was "no psychiatric explanation" for his radicalization.
Accomplice sentenced
Another man sentenced to 12 years in prison
The attacker stood trial in Wiener Neustadt alongside 21-year-old Arda K from Slovakia, who was linked to an IS cell. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role. After the foiled attack, Swift expressed "a new sense of fear" and said the cancellations left her with a "tremendous amount of guilt."