Suspects in terrorist plot on Taylor Swift concerts radicalized by internet, officials say

A 19-year-old suspect and another individual that Austrian police arrested had made concrete preparations to launch a terrorist attack, Austria’s Interior Ministry reported on Wednesday. Concert organizers on Wednesday canceled three Taylor Swift shows slated for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday after authorities confirmed there was a real possibility of a terrorist attack at the Ernst Happel Stadium.

Who were these suspects? Austrian authorities have not identified either suspect. Police arrested the 19-year-old in Ternitz on Wednesday morning and the other suspect in Vienna in the afternoon. The primary suspect had sworn an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State group (ISIS) via the internet and had chemical substances at his residence, authorities said. Austrian police reported earlier in the day on Wednesday that a raid had taken place and that authorities would increase security precautions for major events.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about organizers’ decision to cancel the shows.