Grief and horror: Villach after the brutal knife attack!

Grief and horror: Villach after the brutal knife attack!

Horrible and shocking: In Austria, more precisely in Villach, a 23-year-old Syrian carried out a knife attack in which a 14-year-old boy lost his life and five other people were injured, some seriously. According to reports from the 5min.at The condition of the injured is now stable and they are receiving intensive care in the hospital. The perpetrator, who came to Austria because he could not stay in Germany due to an attempted fraud with a fake passport, is now being held responsible for the crimes he committed beforehand.

Motive and sequence of events

The investigators assume an Islamist background to the attack. As the Fulda newspaper reports that the perpetrator is said to have been radicalized on the Internet and even had IS propaganda material in his apartment. According to his own statements, he planned to kill “men of military age.” As he stabbed passers-by in the city center on the afternoon of February 15, a countryman working as a food delivery driver stopped the attacker with a targeted attack with his car, potentially preventing something worse from happening.

The incident triggered a wave of grief and horror in Villach. The city has canceled all events to express its mourning for the victim. The political leadership is now calling for stricter measures in asylum and integration policy as well as a review of security precautions. Memorial events and support are being organized for those affected to stand together during this difficult time.