Bloody everyday life in Villach: knife attack shocks the city!

Bloody everyday life in Villach: knife attack shocks the city!

A shocking incident occurred in downtown Villach on Saturday, February 15, 2025, in which a 14-year-old boy died after a brutal knife attack. Eyewitnesses reported chaotic scenes near the Drau Bridge when a 23-year-old Syrian citizen apparently stabbed passers-by at random. During this altercation, a total of four men between the ages of 14 and 35 were injured, two of them seriously. The Carinthian police responded with a massive operation, including the use of two helicopters to cordon off the area over a wide area 5min.at reported. The suspected perpetrator, who has no previous police record, was arrested and the investigation was taken over by the State Office for State Security and Combating Extremism.

The incident caused a wave of consternation, not least among Carinthia's governor Peter Kaiser, who described the events as "unbelievable cruelty" and called for severe consequences. His statements about the failure of asylum policy and the need for a restrictive approach to migrants were taken up by liberal representatives such as Erwin Angerer, who interpreted the incidents as the result of a fatal asylum policy. Kaiser emphasized that such acts should not lead to blanket judgments and instead called for a migration policy based on the rule of law Click Carinthia reported in detail.

A hero in misfortune

A 42-year-old Foodora driver, also of Syrian origin, was particularly singled out for courageously intervening and preventing something worse from happening. His heroism is recognized in the police press conference. However, she emphasized that she did not want to speculate about the attacker's motives. An upload platform was also set up to collect information and material from witnesses to support the investigation. The incident shocked the city of Villach, and an emergency meeting was called that evening to discuss further steps.