Vienna/Austria: At least 4 dead in terrorist attack

[StarrySky87]

Terror attack in Vienna leaves four dead

By Ivana Kottasov?, Nectar Gan, Jenni Marsh and Helen Regan, CNN
Updated 1047 GMT (1847 HKT) November 3, 2020
What we know so far

Terror attack in Vienna: Four people have been killed and 14 injured in an attack in a busy area of Vienna, Austria, on Monday evening. The police said at least one heavily armed attacker opened fire in the city center. The country's interior minister and chancellor called the shooting an "islamist terror attack."
Suspects: Authorities told Vienna residents to stay at home, adding that "it can't be excluded that there were more attackers." The Interior Ministry said one attacker is still believed to be on the run.
Gunman: The man shot dead by police was wearing a fake explosive vest, was heavily armed, and police said had been "radicalized." SWAT teams used explosives to enter and search his apartment.

50 min ago

The number of people killed in Monday night's attack has risen to four, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said during a televised speech Tuesday morning.

Addressing the nation, Kurz said four civilians -- an elderly man, an elderly woman, a young passerby and a waitress have been "killed in cold blood."

He added that 14 other people were injured, some of them seriously. He said a police officer was among the injured. One of the attackers was killed by police on Monday evening.

Kurz said Monday's shooting was "an attack on our free society" and said Austria would "defend its values."

The chancellor announced a nationwide minute of silence in memory of the victims at 12 p.m. Vienna time on Tuesday.

1 hr 23 min ago
Putin says terrorism won't 'sow discord and hatred between people of different faiths'

From CNN?s Mary Ilyushina in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a telegram to Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz expressing his condolences following the attack.

A statement on the Kremlin website said:

The head of the Russian state resolutely condemned this cruel and cynical crime, [the crime] that once again confirmed the inhumane essence of terrorism, and expressed confidence that the forces of terror would not be able to intimidate anyone, sow discord and hatred between people of different faiths.

In the statement, Putin also "reaffirmed Russia's readiness to build up cooperation with Austria and other members of the international community in the fight against all forms and manifestations of terrorism."
1 hr 50 min ago
Vienna parents told to keep kids at home

Compulsory school attendance has been suspended in Vienna on Tuesday and parents have been told by the Interior Ministry to keep their kids at home if possible.

Schools in the Austrian capital will remain open for those who need childcare.

The ministry has advised Vienna residents to stay at home and avoid the city center as investigation continues. The authorities said "it can't be excluded that there were more attackers" and added they believed one suspect to still be on the run.
2 hr 40 min ago
Rabbi who witnessed shooting said attacker looked "professional, trained"

From Denise Hruby in Vienna

Police patrol near Schwedenplatz square in the center of Vienna on November 3, one day after three people were killed.
Police patrol near Schwedenplatz square in the center of Vienna on November 3, one day after three people were killed. Hans Punz/APA/EFP/Getty Images

Rabbi Schlomo Hofmeister tells CNN that he saw a gunman running into bars shooting at people during Monday's attack.

"He was running towards them with a rifle," he said. Hofmeister said he saw the shooting unfold from his home, which was close where the attack occurred.

"He was running back and forth and ran inside the bars, and I heard shots being fired inside the bars," Hofmeister said. "And then within the next 15 or 20 minutes I heard shots from farther away."

It was a warm evening and many people were outside enjoying the last hours of freedom before a coronavirus lockdown was imposed that night.

Hofmeister said it looked like a "professional, trained attack."

"He didn?t look confused and he wasn?t shooting around randomly -- it was very targeted and coordinated, like a fighter," he said.

Hofmeister said that he personally saw just one attacker." But I also saw videos of one of the attackers and I can?t say whether this is the same person," he said.

The attack was centered on the busy shopping and dining district near Vienna's main synagogue, Seitenstettengasse Temple, which was closed at the time. It is unclear whether the synagogue was a target.

Hofmeister said that while they can't rule out that the synagogue may have been a target, at that time of day "there is no activity in the synagogue. The building was closed and secured with alarms."

"We are here in a popular nightlife district -- the nightlife district of the city," he said. "The people who are in this area were people who go out in this district, patrons of the bars and pubs."

3 hr 2 min ago
Austrian embassy in New Delhi closed for a week following Vienna attack

From CNN's Vedika Sud in New Delhi

The Austrian Embassy in New Delhi will be closed to the public until November 11 following the attack in Vienna, the embassy said in a statement.

"As a precautionary measure the Austrian Embassy New Delhi will remain closed to the public until 11th November 2020. We ask for your understanding," the embassy said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences following the attack, saying he was "deeply shocked and saddened by the dastardly terror attacks."

3 hr 11 min ago
Little police presence on outskirts of Vienna

From CNN's Frederik Pleitgen

A CNN team has arrived in Vienna by car and say that while there is little security presence on the outskirts of the city, it's a different story in the town center.

"Arriving in Vienna. No check points on the outskirts of town. Not much in the way of massive police presence," said CNN Senior International Correspondent Frederik Pleitgen. "If these guys are still looking for someone they?re not showing it."

In the city center, or the Innen Stadt, there is a bigger police presence, however. "Police vehicles on all major streets. Police with automatic weapons drawn. Cops in combat gear but seem pretty relaxed," Pleitgen said.
3 hr 27 min ago
Waiter close to Vienna shooting said "We were all fearing for our lives"

From Denise Hruby in Vienna

An armed policeman stands guard outside the Interior Ministry in Vienna, Austria on November 2.
An armed policeman stands guard outside the Interior Ministry in Vienna, Austria on November 2. Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images

Monday's shooting in Vienna occurred in a busy area packed with cafes and restaurants.

Jimmy Eroglu, 42, was waitering in his cafe when people suddenly started running inside.

"My guests were outside and suddenly started storming inside, so I also went to look and asked what?s going on and they said there?s a shooting," he said.

Eroglu said he stuck his head out of the door to see what was going on and heard ?at least 15 shots."

"I still can?t believe this," he said. "We were all fearing for our lives."

Eroglu locked the doors to the cafe and told everyone to stay inside. No more than three minutes later police were at the scene, he said.

"This is something we only see in America, or in Iraq or Afghanistan, but not here in Austria," Eroglu said.

4 hr 40 min ago
Police reviewing 20,000 videos sent by the public for evidence

The head of the Austrian Federal Police Franz Ruf speaks during a press conference on November 2.
The head of the Austrian Federal Police Franz Ruf speaks during a press conference on November 2. Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images

Frank Ruf, general director for public safety with the Vienna police, said they are reviewing thousands of videos sent in by members of the public.

"More than 20,000 videos were sent to the police platform. Thank you to the people in Austria who gave us this evidence," Ruf said.

He added that a 35-member investigation team had so far examined 20% of the videos.

5 hr 9 min ago
Austrian Interior Minister: "Yesterday's attack is an attack on our values"

Austria's Interior minister Karl Nehammer speaks during a press conference in Vienna, on November 2.
Austria's Interior minister Karl Nehammer speaks during a press conference in Vienna, on November 2. Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images

Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said the Vienna shooting was "an attack on our values and a completely useless attempt to weaken our democratic society or to divide it."
""We do not tolerate this in any way or from anyone," Nehammer said at a press conference this morning. "

"We experienced an attack yesterday from at least one Islamist terrorist -- a situation like we have not had to experience in Austria in decades," he said.
5 hr 12 min ago
Austrian police assume there were more attackers in Vienna shooting

From Susanna Capelouto in Atlanta

Armed police stand guard outside the Interior Ministry in Vienna following the shooting on November 2.
Armed police stand guard outside the Interior Ministry in Vienna following the shooting on November 2. Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images

Austrian police have said that they ?assume that there were more attackers? in Vienna?s terrorist attack on Monday.

During a press conference this morning, Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said that one suspect had been shot dead by police but that ?it can?t be excluded that there were more attackers."

At least three people have died and 15 others were injured in Monday?s shooting. One police officer was also injured in the attack.

https://edition.cnn.com/europe/live-news/vienna-terror-attack-nov-2-live-updates/index.html

[StarrySky87]

I had to shorten the post, so I left out the oldest updates. The article is still being updated, so there will probably be more details in the next few hours.

[Nic B]

[JohnLanders]

https://apnews.com/article/vienna-sh...58b4b16d8a17a6

Allegations of Isis connections are at play here.

VIENNA (AP) — A man who had previously tried to join the Islamic State group rampaged in Vienna armed with an automatic rifle and a fake explosive vest, fatally shooting four people before he was killed by police, Austrian authorities said Tuesday.

Witnesses described dozens of screaming people fleeing the sounds of gunshots Monday night in a nightlife district crowded with revelers enjoying the last hours before a coronavirus lockdown.

Others barricaded themselves inside restaurants for hours until they were sure the danger had passed. Video that appeared to be from the scene showed a gunman, dressed in white coveralls, firing off bursts seemingly at random as he ran down the Austrian capital’s dark cobblestone streets.

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While the attack lasted just minutes, authorities said only on Tuesday afternoon that there was no indication of a second attacker — adding to tension in the capital as residents were urged to stay home.

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Two men and two women died from their injuries in the attack. Authorities said a police officer who tried to get in the way of the attacker was shot and wounded, along with 21 other people.

The suspect was identified as a 20-year-old Austrian-North Macedonian dual citizen with a previous terror conviction for attempting to join the Islamic State group in Syria. Police searched 18 properties as well as the suspect’s apartment, detaining 14 people associated with the assailant who are being questioned, Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said.

“Yesterday’s attack was clearly an Islamist terror attack,” Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said. “It was an attack out of hatred — hatred for our fundamental values, hatred for our way of life, hatred for our democracy in which all people have equal rights and dignity.”

The attacker, identified as Kujtim Fejzulai, was armed with a fake explosive vest, an automatic rifle, a handgun and a machete, according to Nehammer. Before the attack he posted a photograph on a social media account showing him posing with the rifle and machete, Nehammer said.

Fejzulai was sentenced to 22 months in prison in April 2019 but was granted early release in December.

“The fact is that the terrorist managed to deceive the judicial system’s deradicalization program” to secure his release, Nehammer said, adding that the system should be reevaluated.

He also said that an attempt to strip the suspect of his Austrian citizenship had failed for lack of enough evidence. In North Macedonia, Interior Ministry spokesman Toni Angelovski said authorities there would cooperate with Austrian police.

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Fejzulai’s lawyer in the 2019 case, Nikolaus Rast, told public broadcaster ORF that his client had seemed “completely harmless” at the time.

“He was a young man who was searching for his place in society, who apparently went to the wrong mosque, ended up in the wrong circles,” Rast said.

Fejzulai’s family “wasn’t strictly religious at all; the family wasn’t radical,” Rast added. “I still remember that the family couldn’t believe what had happened with their son.”

Authorities worked well into Tuesday to determine whether there were any other attackers, with some 1,000 police officers on duty in the city. People in Vienna were urged to stay at home if possible on Tuesday, and children did not have to go to school.

By mid-afternoon, investigators sifting through copious video evidence had found “no indication of a second perpetrator,” Nehammer said. “But because the evaluation is not yet concluded, we cannot yet say conclusively how many perpetrators are responsible for the crime.”

Full Coverage: Austria
For the time being, an elevated security level will remain in place in Vienna along with a reinforced police presence, he said. The country held a minute of silence at midday Tuesday, accompanied by the tolling of bells in the capital, and the government ordered three days of official mourning, with flags on public buildings to be flown at half-staff.

The shooting began shortly after 8 p.m. Monday near Vienna’s main synagogue as many people were enjoying a last night of open restaurants and bars before a monthlong coronavirus lockdown, which started at midnight.

Nine minutes later, it was over, Nehammer said.

Alois Schroll, an Austrian lawmaker and the mayor of the town of Ybbs, said he had just arrived at a nearby restaurant when the shooting began. He said he “saw many, many people running with their hands up high, they were in a panic and screaming.”

Police “sealed off the entire restaurant,” Schroll, 52, told The Associated Press. “People inside the restaurant were in shock, there were several women who were crying. And it wasn’t until shortly before 1 a.m., that police finally let us out of the restaurant.”

Schroll said he wasn’t allowed back to his apartment because the area was still blocked off — and so he spent hours wandering the streets.

Rabbi Schlomo Hofmeister said he saw at least one person shoot at people sitting outside at bars in the street below his window near the city’s main synagogue.

“They were shooting at least 100 rounds just outside our building,” Hofmeister said.

The attack drew swift condemnation and assurances of support from leaders around Europe, including from French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country has experienced three terror attacks in recent weeks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel. U.S. President Donald Trump also condemned “yet another vile act of terrorism in Europe.”

___

Moulson reported from Berlin. Associated Press writers Frank Jordans, Kirsten Grieshaber and David Rising contributed from Berlin, and Konstantin Testorides contributed from Skopje, North Macedonia.