Knife attack in Villach: sadness and anger after the terrorist attack!

Knife attack in Villach: sadness and anger after the terrorist attack!

An unprecedented terrorist attack shook Villach on February 15, 2025, when a 23-year-old Syrian citizen, Ahmad G., randomly stabbed passers-by with a folding knife, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring five other people, including two teenagers. The incident occurred in the Lower Main Square, where, according to eyewitnesses, Ahmad G. shouted the ritual exclamation “Allahu akbar” during the attack. A brave supplier, also of Syrian origin, raced towards the perpetrator in his car, possibly preventing something worse from happening, before he himself was mistaken for another attacker by the surrounding crowd krone.at reported.

Consequences and investigations

The perpetrator's immediate arrest caused horror, especially when a viral image of his arrest emerged showing him laughing and pointing his finger - an image that increased popular anger against the crime. In response to the attack, investigations into murder and attempted murder were launched. The public prosecutor's office determined that it was an Islamist attack that was allegedly linked to the Islamic State (IS). During a search of Ahmad G.'s apartment, the police discovered IS flags and found out that he had become radicalized on the Internet before it was unknown to the police how Wikipedia describes.

The shocking events have not only plunged the city into mourning - a funeral march with 4,000 participants took place on February 18th to commemorate it, with high-ranking politicians also attending to show solidarity. At the same time, the news that the attacker was receiving a lawyer at taxpayer expense caused a lot of criticism and horror among the population. The Austrian government faces the challenge of strengthening national security amid calls for stricter migration policies to prevent such horrors in the future.