Grief for victims of the knife attack: Villach in deep shock rigid

Grief for victims of the knife attack: Villach in deep shock rigid

In a terrifying incident, on February 15, 2025, a knife attack in Villach, Carinthia, in which a 14-year-old youth were killed and five other people injured. The assassin, a 23-year-old Syrian named Ahmad G., randomly stabbed passers-by with a 10 cm folding knife and called Allahu Akbar. Immediate reactions from the police officers and witnesses prevented further mischief when a 42-year-old food supplier, also Syrian, rammed the perpetrator with his car. This heroism may have averted worse suffering, as 5min.at reported.

Details about the crime and reactions

The cruel attack attracted nationwide bewilderness and international attention. In front of the main square in Villach, where the crime took place, candles were lit for the victims and there was a minute's silence in which many people took part. According to the incident, the city of Villach has shown the need to express mourning memorial campaigns. On February 16, crisis intervention was already organized at the victim's school to offer the students emotional support. In front of the HTL in Klagenfurt, a black flag was hoisted to commemorate the deceased boy.

The investigation into the motive of the crime showed that the attacker had radicalized himself in the three months before the crime and saw himself as the "soldier of the Islamic State". In his apartment, the investigators found flags of the terrorist organization IS, which underpins the acceptance of an Islamist motivation. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner described the attack as an Islamist attack with IS cover. The public prosecutor's office in Klagenfurt has meanwhile initiated investigations into murder and attempted murder, as well as "https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/amoklauf_von_villach"> wikipedia can be read.