Shooting attack rocks Vienna

Austrians were enjoying the last evening out before new coronavirus restrictions took effect when gunmen opened fire in Vienna’s city center on Monday. The attack left at least five people dead, including one of the gunmen, and injured 17 others.

Was this a terror attack? Austrian officials say yes. Interior Minister Karl Nehammer on Tuesday identified the gunned attacker as 20-year-old Kujtim Fejzulai, a dual Austrian and North Macedonian national. Fejzulai was sentenced in April 2019 after he tried traveling to Syria to join the Islamic State group but received an early release in December. Authorities raided 15 houses and detained several additional suspects on Tuesday. Unverified footage posted on social media showed gunmen walking through the streets, apparently shooting at people at random. Schools in Vienna remained closed and Austria declared three days of mourning.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about recent terror attacks in France.

Editor’s note: WORLD has updated this report since its initial posting.