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Suspects in Taylor Swift concert attack plot aimed to kill ‘tens of thousands,’ CIA says

By Catherine Stoddard
Published  August 29, 2024 4:24pm EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX TV Digital Team

New information: Taylor Swift concert terror plot

The deputy director of the CIA confirmed that the intended terrorist plot at Taylor Swift's shows in Vienna earlier this month intended on "killing tens of thousands of people at this concert" – including Americans.

The Brief

    • The suspects who plotted to attack Taylor Swift’s Vienna concert earlier this month said they intended to kill thousands, the CIA said.
    • Austrian authorities arrested three suspects in connection with the conspiracy earlier this month.
    • The suspects planned to use knives or homemade explosives to attack spectators.

The suspects who attempted to attack concert-goers at Taylor Swift’s now-canceled Vienna show had intended to kill "tens of thousands," according to the CIA. 

Taylor Swift performs onstage during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at Wembley Stadium on August 15, 2024 in London, England. ( Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)

Swift cancels several tours over attack plot 

The CIA notified Austrian authorities of the scheme, which allegedly included links to the Islamic State group. 

The intelligence and subsequent arrests ultimately led to the cancellation of three sold-out Eras Tour shows, devastating fans who had traveled across the globe to see Swift in concert. 

CIA Deputy Director David Cohen addressed the failed plot during the annual Intelligence and National Security Summit, held this week in Maryland. 

"They were plotting to kill a huge number — tens of thousands of people at this concert, including I am sure many Americans — and were quite advanced in this," Cohen said Wednesday. "The Austrians were able to make those arrests because the agency and our partners in the intelligence community provided them information about what this ISIS-connected group was planning to do."

3rd person arrested in Swift terror threat

A third person has been arrested in the connection with the foiled conspiracy attack to three-now cancelled Taylor Swift concerts. The main suspect planned to "kill as many people as possible," authorities said. Former ICE Director John Torres joined LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow to detail the latest information.

Who are the suspects? 

The main suspect is a 19-year-old Austrian man, according to Austrian officials. 

He was allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group and had planned to attack outside the stadium where there were upwards of 30,000 fans. 

The suspects had planned to attack concert-goers with knives or homemade explosives, officials said. 

Investigators also found chemical substances and technical devices during a raid of the suspect’s home. 

Another 17-year-old suspect was also taken into custody on August 6 and a third 18-year-old suspect was arrested on August 8. 

Their names have not been released due to Austrian privacy rules. 

What did Swift say?  

Swift broke her silence about the cancelations last week after her London shows had concluded. 

"Having our Vienna shows canceled was devastating," she wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. "The reason for the cancelations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows." 

She thanked authorities — "thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives," she wrote — and said she waited to speak until the European leg of her Eras Tour concluded to prioritize safety. 

"Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows," she wrote. 

Swift’s publicist did not immediately return a request for comment from The Associated Press Thursday.