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.
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