On May 28, the first-instance trial of suspect Beran A. (21 years old) for planning an explosive terrorist attack targeting audience members of Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" tour took place in Austria and closed. The court officially sentenced defendant Beran A. to 15 years in prison.
According to the case file, the terrorist attack with explosives and weapons was foiled by Austrian security agencies in August 2024.
To ensure public safety, the organizers canceled all 3 consecutive performances of singer Taylor Swift in Vienna on August 8, 9 and 10, 2024.
The decision to cancel the show at the last minute has had a major impact on the series of events as the Ernst Happel stadium has a capacity of 65,000 people, and it is estimated that about 200,000 fans are gathering in the city.
The indictment from the prosecuting agency determined that Beran A.'s goal was to use knives and homemade explosives to attack the crowd of spectators gathering outside the stadium.
Immediately after the plot was exposed, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) said that the suspects intended to create a massacre with extremely large casualties.
Thanks to CIA intelligence, the plan was promptly prevented and police arrested 3 related subjects. Searching Beran A.'s private residence, functional forces discovered many toxic chemicals and technical equipment serving the attack.
On Taylor Swift's side, in an official announcement after the incident, the female singer expressed her gratitude to the security agencies for promptly protecting the lives of the public, and confirmed that she had closely coordinated with the British security agencies to tighten control, ensuring absolute safety for nearly half a million spectators during the next performances in London.
Despite many disappointments, the Taylor Swift fan community in Vienna in the following days created a beautiful image when they took to the streets together, singing together to share and encourage each other.
